Anemia

Anemia Evaluation

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Anemia Evaluation, Anemia Approach, Anemia Labs

  • See Also
  1. Anemia
  2. Pediatric Anemia
  3. Anemia Clinical Clues
  • Labs
  1. Complete Blood Count (CBC)
    1. Compare with prior Complete Blood Count results
    2. See Hemoglobin Cutoffs for Anemia
    3. See Hematocrit Cutoffs for Anemia
    4. Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW)
      1. Often Increases before MCV becomes abnormal
      2. Iron Deficiency Anemia from other Microcytic Anemia
    5. Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV)
      1. See below for evaluation
  2. Reticulocyte Index
    1. Reticulocytopenia (Reticulocyte Index <1%)
      1. Diagnosis based on Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV)
    2. Reticulocytosis (Reticulocyte Index >3%)
      1. See Anemia with Reticulocytosis
  3. Peripheral Smear
    1. Erythrocyte Morphology
  • Further evaluation
  1. See Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV)
    1. MCV cutoffs vary from age to age
    2. MCV cutoffs also vary per reference
  2. Differential Diagnosis based on Mean Corpuscular Volume
    1. See Microcytic Anemia (MCV <80)
      1. See MCV Cutoffs for Microcytic Anemia (varies)
    2. See Normocytic Anemia (MCV 80-100)
    3. See Macrocytic Anemia (MCV >100)
  • References
  1. (1998) MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 47:1-29 [PubMed]
    1. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/rr/rr4703.pdf
  2. Little (1999) Am Fam Physician 59(6):1598-1604 [PubMed]
  3. Abramson (1999) Am Fam Physician 59(4):851-8 [PubMed]