83 results
Overall Approach to Anemia - Differential Diagnosis Algorithm

Blood Loss
 • Acute Bleed - Normocytic / Normochromic
Overall Approach to Anemia ... Normochromic RBCs on Smear ... • Anemia of Chronic ... Spherocytes on Smear ... Diagnosis #Algorithm #Causes
Hemolytic Anemias - Differential Diagnosis Algorithm

Signs of anemia and hemolysis:
 • ↓ Haptoglobin
 • ↑ LDH
Hemolytic Anemias ... Algorithm Signs of anemia ... Abnormal peripheral smear ... • Extrinsic RBC ... • Intrinsic RBC
Causes of Anemia with elevated Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) - Differential Diagnosis Algorithm
Normal Blood Smear
 •
Causes of Anemia ... Normal Blood Smear ... Neutrophils - Low RBC ... Increased Requirement (e.g ... Diagnosis #Algorithm #Causes
Causes of Anemia with Normal Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) - Differential Diagnosis Algorithm
Decreased WBCs
 - Decreased/NormaI
Causes of Anemia ... • Secondary (e.g ... Spherocytes, RBC ... #Normocytic #Anemia ... Diagnosis #Algorithm #Causes
Warm Antibody Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia 
1) DIAGNOSE AIHA
 • Anemia: macrocytic > normocytic, ↑ reticulocytes
 •
Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia ... DIAGNOSE AIHA • Anemia ... ↑ LDH • Anti-RBC ... C3d • Blood smear ... 2) LOOK FOR a cause
Peripheral Blood Smear Analysis
Hypochromia
Megaloblastic Anemia
Schistocytes: Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (e.g. DIC, TTP, HUS)
Microspherocytes: Autoimmune hemolytic anemia
Sickled red
Peripheral Blood Smear ... Megaloblastic Anemia ... (e.g. ... Autoimmune hemolytic anemia ... Peripheral #Blood #Smear
Causes of Anemia with Low Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) - Differential Diagnosis Algorithm
Decreased Heme Synthesis or
Causes of Anemia ... Iron Deficiency (Eg ... Causes: Chronic ... TlBC > 18% • Anemia ... #Microcytic #Anemia
Plasmodium Falciparum Blood Smear.
Key features suggesting Plasmodium falciparum:
- extreme parasitemia
- normocytic RBCs (vivax, ovale prefer big
Falciparum Blood Smear ... multiples per RBC ... P. falciparum causes ... human malaria cases ... rare in blood smears
Red Blood Cell (RBC) Morphology
Microcytic RBC: Pyridoxine deficiency, Thalassemia, Iron deficiency anemia, Chronic disease anemia (sometimes),
Iron deficiency anemia ... Chronic disease anemia ... Chemotherapy (e.g ... Microangiopathic Hemolytic Anemia ... autoimmune hemolytic anemia
Peripheral blood findings in microangiopathic hemolytic anemia.  DIC is a clinical and laboratory diagnosis, not
microangiopathic hemolytic anemia ... Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia ... arrow) Peripheral smear ... count, D-dimer, egg ... Hematology #Pathology #Smear