A Brief Overview Of Haemolytic Anemias!

1. Haemolytic Anaemia
Dr.Suhail Ahmad

2. Definition
Hemolytic anemia are disorders in which red blood cell
survival is reduced, either episodically or continuously.
Bone marrow has the ability to increase erythroid
production up to eightfold, so anemia will present only
when red cell survival is extremely short or when the
ability of the bone marrow to compensate is impaired.

3. Causes
Congenital or Inherited
Acquired

5. Investigations
1. Blood CP
2. Peripheral Blood Smear
3. Reticulocyte Count
4. Serum LDH Level
5. Serum Haptoglobin
6. Indirect Bilirubin
7. Urinary Haemosiderin
8. Urinary Urobilinogen
9. Hb Electrophoresis
10. Other
1. Coombs Test
2. G6PD Level

7. Management
 Prophylactic Folic Acid
(Active hemolysis can consume folate and cause megaloblastosis)
 Corticosteroids and Intravenous Immunoglobulin G (IVIG)
(Indicated in autoimmune hemolytic anemia)
 Transfusion Therapy
(Patients with angina or a severely compromised cardiopulmonary status)
 Erythropoietin Therapy
(Children with chronic renal failure, Infants with hereditary spherocytosis and
autoimmune hemolytic anemia associated with reticulocytopenia etc.)

8.  Iron Therapy
(Only in case of severe or intravascular hemolysis in which persistent
hemoglobinuria has caused substantial iron loss)
 Discontinuing Medications
(Penicillin, Ampicillin, Quinine, Quinidine, Cephalothin etc.)
 Splenectomy
(In hereditary spherocytosis or autoimmune hemolytic anemia)
 Long-Term Monitoring
(Hemoglobin, Retics, Indirect Bilirubin, Serum LDH, Serum Haptoglobin etc.)