Haemolytic Anaemia

Haemolytic Anaemia

Definition

It is a type of anaemia characterized by excessive destruction of the red blood cells.

Aetiology

Mechanism	Conditions
Severe infection	.Streptococcal Septicemia. .Malaria. .Gas gangrene.
Toxic chemicals and drugs	.Lead. .Sulphonamides. .Methyl dopa.
Incompatible blood transfusion abnormal RBC morphology	.Spherocytosis. .Elliptocytosis.
Abnormal haemoglobin	.Thalassemia. .Sickle cell disease.

Clinical features

1.Features of anaemia.

2.Mild jaundice.

3.Splenomegaly.

Investigations

1.Haemogram.,

.Low Hb

.Increase in retic count.

.Abnormal RBC morphology,e.g.spherocytosis,elliptocytosis.

2.Serum bilirubin:Elevation of total and unconjugated bilirubin.

3.Haemoglobin electrophoresis:HbS,HbF,HbS,HbSC.

Treatment

1.Treatment of the cause.

2.Blood transfusions as required.

Hemorrhage Diseases

Classification

Mechanism	Cause	Examples
Injury to the walls of the blood vessels.	.Infection	.Meningococcal meningitis. .Bacterial endocarditis. .Measles. .Scarlet fever. .Small pox.
	.Drugs	.Isoniazid. .Quinine. .Sulphonamides. .Gold salts.
	.Vitamin C deficiency	.Scurvy.
	.Allergic diseases	.Allergic dermatitis.
	.Old age	.Allergic arthritis. .Senile purpura.
Low platelet count	.Diseases of platelets	. Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. .Autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura. .Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.
	.Bone marrow aplasia	.Aplastic anaemia (see under ‘aplastic anaemia’). .Secondary carcinomatosis of bones. .Leukemia.
Prothrombin deficiency	.Liver diseases	.Cirrhosis. .Chronic active hepatitis. .Obstructive jaundice.
	.Vitamin K deficiency.	.Malnutrition. .Malabsorption syndrome. .Anticoagulation.
Deficiency of clotting factors	.FactorVIII deficiency	. Haemophilia .von willebrandt’s disease
	.Factor IX deficiency	.Haemophilia B.
	.Factor X deficiency	.Christmas disease.
	.Deficiency of fibrinogen	.Congenital afibrinogenemia. .Disseminated intravascular coagulation. .Excessive fibrinolysis.