COMMON

DISORDERS OF
BLOOD CELLS

12/02/22 ANAEMIA 1
 Functions of blood
 Supply of oxygen to tissues (bound to
haemoglobin which is carried in red cells)
bound to plasma proteins (e.g. blood lipids)
 Removal of waste such as carbon dioxide,
urea and lactic acid
 Immunological functions, including circulation
of white cells, and detection of foreign
material by antibodies

12/02/22 ANAEMIA 2
 Coagulation, which is one part of the body's
self-repair mechanism
 Messenger functions, including the transport
of hormones and the signalling of tissue
damage
 Regulation of body pH (the normal pH of
blood is in the range of 7.35 - 7.45)
 Regulation of core body temperature

12/02/22 ANAEMIA 3
 ANAEMIA
 Anaemia is a deficiency of red blood cells, or
insufficient haemoglobin within the red blood
cells.
 Usually this is because there are low levels of
haemoglobin in the blood or due to production
of faulty haemoglobin

12/02/22 ANAEMIA 4
 TYPES OF ANAEMIAS

IRON DEFICIENCY ANAEMIA

 It is caused by a lack of dietary iron, and there
is not enough of this mineral to form sufficient
haemoglobin.

 A person with this type of anaemia may have a

normal RBC count and a normal haematocrit,
but the haemoglobin level will be below
normal.

12/02/22 ANAEMIA 5
 PERNICIUOS ANAEMIA
 A deficiency of vitamin B12, which is found
only in animal foods, leads to pernicious
anaemia, in which the RBCs are large,
misshapen, and fragile.
 Another cause of this form of anaemia is lack
of the intrinsic factor due to autoimmune
destruction of the parietal cells of the
stomach lining.

12/02/22 ANAEMIA 6
 MEGALOBLASTIC ANAEMIA
 This is due to deficiency of folic acid
 It may be due to dietary deficiency e.g. in
infants if there is delay in establishing a mixed
diet, in alcoholism, in anorexia and in
pregnancy
 Also due to malabsorption from jejunum
caused by coeliac disease, tropical sprue
 Interference with folate metabolism by eg,
cytotoxic and anticonvulsant drugs
12/02/22 ANAEMIA 7
 SICKLE CELL ANAEMIA
 It is a genetic disorder of haemoglobin (Hb-
S), which causes RBCs to sickle, clog
capillaries, and rupture.
 Even though erythropoiesis is stimulated by
the loss of the cells, it cannot keep pace with
haemolysis.
 Acute episodes (sickle crises) caused by
blockade of small vessels cause acute pain in
the affected area often the hands and feets

12/02/22 ANAEMIA 8
 APLASTIC ANAEMIA
 It is suppression of the red bone marrow,
with decreased production of RBCs, WBCs,
and platelets.
 This is a very serious disorder that may be
caused by exposure to radiation, certain
chemicals such as benzene, or some
medications.

12/02/22 ANAEMIA 9
 THALASSAEMIA
 It is an inherited condition commonest in
Meditteranean countries
 It is caused by abnormal haemoglobin
production which in turn reduces
erythropoiesis and stimulates hemolysis
 The resultant anaemia may present in a
range of forms from mild and
asymptomatic to profound and life
threatening

12/02/22 ANAEMIA 10
 HAEMOLYTIC ANAEMIA
 It is any disorder that causes rupture of RBCs
before the end of their normal life span.
 Sickle-cell anaemia, thalassaemia and Rh
disease of the new-born are examples.
 Another example is malaria, in which a
protozoan parasite reproduces in RBCs and
destroys them.
 Haemolytic anaemias are often characterized
by jaundice because of the increased
production of bilirubin.

12/02/22 ANAEMIA 11
 HAEMOPHILIA
 Haemophilia is an inherited deficiency of
clotting in which bleeding may occur
spontaneously or after only minor trauma.
 Different types of haemophilia are due to
deficiencies of different blood clotting
factors and exhibit varying degrees of
severity, ranging from mild to severe
bleeding tendencies

12/02/22 ANAEMIA 12
 LEUKEMIA
 The term leukaemia refers to a group of red bone
marrow cancers in which abnormal white blood cells
multiply uncontrollably
 The accumulation of the cancerous white blood cells
in red bone marrow interferes with the production of
red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets
 As a result the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood
is reduced, an individual is more susceptible to
infection, and blood clotting is abnormal
 The cause of most types of leukaemia is unknown

12/02/22 ANAEMIA 13
 VITAMIN K DEFICIENCY
 Vitamin K is not involved in actual clot formation
but it is required for the synthesis of four clotting
factors.
 It is a fat-soluble vitamin that can be absorbed
through the lining of the intestine and into the
blood if absorption of lipids is normal
 People suffering from disorders that slow
absorption of lipids (for example, inadequate
release of bile into the small intestine) often
experience uncontrolled bleeding as a
consequence of vitamin K deficiency
12/02/22 ANAEMIA 14
 ROLE OF VITAMIN K IN
BLOOD CLOTTING
 Normal clotting depends on adequate levels of
vitamin K in the body
 Although vitamin K is not involved in actual
clot formation, it is required for the synthesis
of four clotting factors
 Normally produced by bacteria that inhabit the
large intestine

12/02/22 ANAEMIA 15
 vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that can be
absorbed through the lining of the intestine and
into the blood if absorption of lipids is normal
 People suffering from disorders that slow
absorption of lipids (for example, inadequate
release of bile into the small intestine) often
experience uncontrolled bleeding as a
consequence of vitamin K deficiency

12/02/22 ANAEMIA 16
 THROMBOSIS
 It is the formation of a clot in the blood that either
blocks, or partially blocks a blood vessel.
 The thrombus may lead to infarction, or death of
tissue, due to a blocked blood supply.
 The pathologic form of haemostasis is thrombosis.
It involves blood clot (thrombus) formation in
uninjured vessels or thrombotic occlusion of a
vessel after relatively minor injury.

12/02/22 ANAEMIA 17
Both hemostasis and thrombosis involve three
components, the vascular wall, platelets, and
the coagulation cascade.
Factors.
 Age (as the age increases so the risk)
 Obesity

 Varicose veins

 Immobility

 Pregnancy

12/02/22 ANAEMIA 18
  High estrogen levels

 Previous history of DVT

 Surgery and trauma of the pelvis, lower limbs

 Heart failure

 Recent myocardial infarction

 Lower limb paralysis

 Cigarette smoking

12/02/22 ANAEMIA 19
 EMBOLISM
 An embolism is an obstruction in a blood
vessel due to a blood clot or other foreign
matter that gets stuck while travelling through
the bloodstream.
 Emboli have moved from the place where they
were formed through the bloodstream to
another part of the body, where they obstruct
an artery and block the flow of blood.

12/02/22 ANAEMIA 20
 The emboli are usually formed from blood
clots but are occasionally comprised of air, fat,
or tumour tissue.
 Embolic events can be multiple and small, or
single and massive.
 They can be life-threatening and require
immediate emergency medical care

12/02/22 ANAEMIA 21
 VON WILLEBRAND DISEASE
 This is the most common inherited bleeding
disorder occurring as frequently as 1 in 1000
individuals
 Von willebrand factor helps platelets adhere to
collagen and become activated.
 In this disease, platelet plug formation and the
contribution of activated platelets to blood
clotting are impaired.

12/02/22 ANAEMIA 22