Hematology Flashcards

Flashcards of Hematology terms and definitions.

Iron-deficiency anemia

A condition caused by insufficient iron intake, leading to fatigue, pallor, and shortness of breath, often seen in teenage girls.

Leukemia

A malignant condition characterized by a high number of immature white blood cells, often presenting with fever, night sweats, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and bruising.

Aplastic anemia

A condition where the body has difficulty producing enough red blood cells and white blood cells, often due to chemotherapy, toxins, drugs, or radiation.

Cooley's anemia

An inherited disorder common in those of Mediterranean descent that affects hemoglobin production, requiring regular blood transfusions and potentially leading to iron overload.

Sickle cell anemia

A condition, often seen in African American patients, characterized by sudden, intense pain due to abnormal, crescent-shaped red blood cells blocking blood vessels.

Multiple myeloma

A malignant condition involving rapidly increasing plasma cells (B-lymphocytes), leading to weakened bones, pain, and pathologic fractures, with a poor prognosis.

Thrombosis

The formation of a blood clot, often in the leg, due to slowed circulation, especially in elderly, immobile patients.

Hemophilia

An inherited disease, more common in males, where blood does not clot properly due to a missing blood clotting factor, requiring avoidance of trauma.

Hematoma

A localized mass of clotted blood under the skin caused by a traumatic injury.

Embolism

A blockage in a small artery caused by something traveling through the bloodstream, such as a clot, air, fat, or bacterial clumps.

Septicemia

A condition where pathogenic organisms or toxins are circulating in the blood, requiring immediate intravenous antibiotics.

Pernicious anemia

A condition with a deficiency in Vitamin B12 and lack of intrinsic factor, experiencing fatigue, pallor, shortness of breath, neurologic changes, and often associated with autoimmune diseases, requiring B12 injections.

Polycythemia

A condition with an increased production of red blood cells that can cause coagulation, treated with phlebotomy and low-dose aspirin.

Thrombocytopenia

A condition where blood is not clotting properly, leading to easy bruising and bleeding due to a decreased number of platelets.

Thalassemia

An inherited disorder common in those of Mediterranean descent that affects how their body makes hemoglobin, leading to chronically low RBCs.