Chloe, a 20-year-old college student, presented with fatigue, cold hands and feet, shortness of breath, and a swollen tongue and pale gums. The case study initially diagnosed her with iron deficiency anemia, which would be confirmed through a complete blood count showing low hemoglobin and red blood cell levels. Additional tests like endoscopy or colonoscopy may be used to check for internal bleeding as a cause. Treatment would involve iron supplements to restore her iron levels, along with a diet high in iron-rich foods.

1. CASE STUDY
BIOC 460 Extra Credit Assignment
By Selena Souriya

2. Consider the following patient:
■ Chloe is a 20 year old female who is 5’1 and weighs
100 lbs. She is a college student who claims to not
have enough time to eat healthy or exercise on a
regular basis. Recently, Chloe has noticed that it is
much harder for her to get up in the mornings, is very
fatigue throughout the day, and is short of breath
frequently. She also reported that she always has cold
hands and feet, but craves ice on a daily basis. Chloe
looks healthy, but has a swollen tongue and pale
gums.

3. What is your initial diagnosis for
Chloe?

4. What tests would you perform to
confirm your diagnosis?

5. Diagnosis: Iron Deficiency Anemia
■ Tests that can confirm:
- Complete blood count (CBC): measures hemoglobin,
hematocrit, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in
your blood.
- Endoscopy: allows the doctor to examine your digestive tract
for sources of bleeding
- Colonoscopy: allows the doctor to examine your colon and
rectum for internal bleeding
- Ultrasound: allows the doctor to look for excess menstrual
bleeding

6. Iron Deficiency Anemia
■ Occurs when a person does not have enough iron causing the
body to not be able to produce enough hemoglobin in red
blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen.That is why the
patient had shortness of breath and felt fatigue.
■ The complete blood count test is the primary test that can
confirm that the patient has iron deficiency anemia. Lower
than normal hemoglobin levels show anemia and red blood
cells are smaller and paler in color.
■ Internal bleeding may be a cause of iron deficiency anemia
because blood contains iron.The patients menstrual period
may be linked to the cause.

7. Hemoglobin
■ A globular protein in red blood cells and gives blood its red color
■ Carries oxygenated blood throughout the body
■ Carries carbon dioxide back to the lungs

8. What are normal hemoglobin counts?
■ Newborns: 17-22 gm/dl
■ One (1) week of age: 15-20 gm/dl
■ One (1) month of age: 11-15gm/dl
■ Children: 11-13 gm/dl
■ Adult males: 14-18 gm/dl
■ Adult women: 12-16 gm/dl
■ Men after middle age: 12.4-14.9
gm/dl
■ Women after middle age: 11.7-13.8
gm/dl

9. Treatments for Iron Deficiency Anemia
■ Iron Supplements: taking medications to help restore iron
levels
■ Change in diet: eating foods high in iron such as: red meat,
dark green vegetables, dried fruits, nuts, and so on.
■ A blood transfusion: only used in severe cases to replace iron
and blood loss quickly.

10. Iron Deficiency Anemia Facts
■ Most common nutritional deficiency worldwide
■ Estimated that 1.6 billion people have iron deficiency anemia
■ Causes reduced work capacity in adults
■ Impacts motor and mental development in children and
adolescents
■ Woman are at a higher risk compared to men because of
blood loss during menstruation and their bodies store less
iron
■ Iron deficiency in pregnant women has been estimated to be
the cause of one in five cases of maternal morbidity and
almost 40% of all perinatal maternal deaths are linked to
anemia

11. References
1. Hemoglobin. http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/hemoglobin (last accessed Dec. 13,
2016).
2. Hemoglobin. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMHT0022015/ (last accessed
Dec. 13, 2016).
3. How Iron Deficiency Anemia is Diagnosed. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-
topics/topics/ida/diagnosis (last accessed Dec. 13, 2016).
4. Iron Deficiency Anemia. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/iron-deficiency-
anemia/symptoms-causes/dxc-20266514 (last accessed Dec. 13, 2016).
5. Iron Deficiency Anemia. http://www.aafp.org/afp/2007/0301/p671.html (last accessed Dec.
13, 2016)
6. Definition of Hemoglobin.
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=15737 (last accessed Dec. 13,
2016).
7. Iron Deficiency Anemia. http://www.healthline.com/health/iron-deficiency-
anemia#Treatment8 (last accessed Dec. 13, 2016).