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What is the pathophysiology of anemia?
At a biological level, anemia develops because of an imbalance in erythrocyte loss relative to production; this can be due to ineffective or deficient erythropoiesis (e.g., from nutritional deficiencies, inflammation, or genetic Hb disorders) and/or excessive loss of erythrocytes (due to hemolysis, blood loss, or both) …
How can Rh incompatibility leads to Erythroblastosis Fetalis?
Erythroblastosis fetalis classically results from Rho(D) incompatibility, which may develop when a woman with Rh-negative blood is impregnated by a man with Rh-positive blood and conceives a fetus with Rh-positive blood, sometimes resulting in hemolysis.
What are the three main causes of anemia?
Anemia has three main causes: blood loss, lack of red blood cell production, and high rates of red blood cell destruction. Anemia can make you feel tired, cold, dizzy, and irritable.
Who is at risk for Rh incompatibility?
An Rh-negative woman who conceives a child with an Rh-positive man is at risk for Rh incompatibility. Rh factor is inherited (passed from parents to children through the genes). If you’re Rh-negative and the father of your baby is Rh-positive, the baby has a 50 percent or more chance of having Rh-positive blood.
How is Rh incompatibility treated?
Rh incompatibility can be prevented with the use of RhoGAM. Therefore, prevention remains the best treatment. Treatment of an infant who is already affected depends on the severity of the condition. Infants with mild Rh incompatibility may be treated with phototherapy using bilirubin lights.
What is the normal hemoglobin level for anemia?
The diagnosis of anemia in men is based on a hemoglobin of less than 130 to 140 g/L (13 to 14 g/dL); in women, it is less than 120 to 130 g/L (12 to 13 g/dL). Further testing is then required to determine the cause.
What are the signs and symptoms of hemolytic anemia?
There may be signs of specific causes of anemia, e.g., koilonychia (in iron deficiency), jaundice (when anemia results from abnormal break down of red blood cells — in hemolytic anemia), bone deformities (found in thalassemia major) or leg ulcers (seen in sickle-cell disease ).
Additional symptoms may occur depending on the underlying cause. The three main types of anemia are due to blood loss, decreased red blood cell production, and increased red blood cell breakdown. Causes of blood loss include trauma and gastrointestinal bleeding, among others.
How are red blood cells classified for anemia?
Anemia can also be classified based on the size of the red blood cells and amount of hemoglobin in each cell. If the cells are small, it is called microcytic anemia; if they are large, it is called macrocytic anemia; and if they are normal sized, it is called normocytic anemia.