Hemolytic anemia

Alternative names:

anemia - hemolytic; aplastic anemia; hemoglobin SC disease; sickle thalassemia

Symptoms:

• nosebleeds
• gums, bleeding
• chills
• fatigue
• pale color
• shortness of breath
• rapid heart rate
• yellow skin color (jaundice)
• dark urine
• enlarged spleen

Signs and tests:

These are test for hemolysis (red blood cell destruction). There are specific tests which identify the specific types of hemolytic anemia; they are performed after hemolysis has been established.

• elevated indirect bilirubin levels
• low serum haptoglobin
• hemoglobin in the urine
• hemosiderin in the urine
• increased urine and fecal urobilinogen
• elevated absolute reticulocyte count
• low red blood cell count and hemoglobin

Direct measurement of the red cell life span by isotopic tagging techniques shows a decreased life span.

This disease may also alter the following test results:

• uric acid
• TIBC
• RBC indices
• protein electrophoresis - serum
• potassium test
• platelet count
• peripheral smear
• leukocyte alkaline phosphatase
• LDH isoenzymes
• LDH
• serum iron
• hematocrit
• ferritin
• febrile or cold agglutinins
• Donath-Landsteiner test
• Coombs' test, indirect
• Coombs' test, direct
• CBC
• blood differential
• AST
• 24-hr. urine protein