Cardiovascular Health: Anemia and Related Conditions

These flashcards cover critical terms and definitions related to anemia, its types, clinical manifestations, assessments, management, and transfusion therapy.

Anemia

Deficiency in the number of erythrocytes, quantity or quality of hemoglobin, or volume of packed RBCs, leading to reduced oxygen delivery to tissues.

Clinical manifestations of anemia

Symptoms that arise due to the body's response to tissue hypoxia, including palpitations, dyspnea, fatigue, pallor, and neurological changes.

Iron Deficiency Anemia

The most common nutritional disorder worldwide caused by a deficiency of iron necessary for hemoglobin production.

Sickle Cell Disease

A group of inherited disorders characterized by the presence of an abnormal form of hemoglobin that causes RBCs to deform into a sickle shape under low oxygen conditions.

Pernicious Anemia

Anemia resulting from failure to absorb vitamin B12 due to a deficiency of intrinsic factor.

Folic Acid deficiency

A condition that presents similarly to vitamin B12 deficiency, but without affecting nervous system function.

Aplastic Anemia

Anemia caused by the failure of the bone marrow to produce sufficient RBCs, leading to pancytopenia.

Transfusion Therapy

A medical procedure whereby blood or blood products are transferred to a patient to treat anemia, bleeding, or to replenish blood volumes.