Anemias? Easy? (HA!)

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · May 3, 2014

Uhmmmm...not that I know of. That is one of the tough subjects

Panosnurse · May 3, 2014

Firstly, you need to remember what the RBCs are, what their componments are and how erythropoiesis is done.

You should know how bone marrow, hemoglobin, vitamine B12, folic acid, iron and the kidneys (via the erythropoietin) affect the erythropoiesis and the life span of the RBCs.

Secondly, you need to define what anemia is (decreased hemoglobin, hence reduced RBCs). Is it blood loss (eg GI bleeding) or problem with the RBCs?

Thirdly, think like this; suppose you have a bone marrow failure. Would you have RBCs or not? Since there is a failure in the dominant place of erythropoiesis, youu won't have any new RBCs.

What I want to say is that you should think what will happen in case one of the RBCs' factor is ''out of the game''.

Then, remember what MCV (size), MCH (hemoglobin, hence ''the color of the RBC'' in the blood film), hematocrit, reticulocytes are and how they are used as a mean of differentiating the various anemias.

I feel that this is an easy way of mastering the new knowledge of anemias. I know that they can be a real pain in the ..., but, still, we need to know them.

http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/hematology_and_oncology/approach_to_the_patient_with_anemia/etiology_of_anemia.html

USMCRN2015 · May 3, 2014

Firstly, you need to remember what the RBCs are, what their componments are and how erythropoiesis is done.
You should know how bone marrow, hemoglobin, vitamine B12, folic acid, iron and the kidneys (via the erythropoietin) affect the erythropoiesis and the life span of the RBCs.
Secondly, you need to define what anemia is (decreased hemoglobin, hence reduced RBCs). Is it blood loss (eg GI bleeding) or problem with the RBCs?
Thirdly, think like this; suppose you have a bone marrow failure. Would you have RBCs or not? Since there is a failure in the dominant place of erythropoiesis, youu won't have any new RBCs.
What I want to say is that you should think what will happen in case one of the RBCs' factor is ''out of the game''.
Then, remember what MCV (size), MCH (hemoglobin, hence ''the color of the RBC'' in the blood film), hematocrit, reticulocytes are and how they are used as a mean of differentiating the various anemias.
I feel that this is an easy way of mastering the new knowledge of anemias. I know that they can be a real pain in the ..., but, still, we need to know them.
http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/hematology_and_oncology/approach_to_the_patient_with_anemia/etiology_of_anemia.html[/
QUOTE]
Thank you so much! I will keep doing practice questions and look at this :)