The Case Report of an Anemic Patient (Case Study Sample)

Student’s Name Professor’s Name Subject DD MM YYYY The Case Report of an Anemic Patient Case A 40-year-old female presented to the Accident and Emergency Center (A &E) with a 2-week history of fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, tachycardia, and lightheadedness. On examination, the patient is found to have skin parlor, koilonychia, brittle nails, and jaundice. Differential Diagnosis The patient is presenting with the classical symptoms of anemia. The differential diagnosis, in this case, are the different types of anemia. These different anemias are: 1 Thalassemia 2 Hemolytic Anemia 3 Iron deficiency anemia 4 Megaloblastic anemia 5 Sickle cell anemia 6 Pernicious Anemia To find the exact condition that the patient is suffering from, it is necessary to conduct laboratory tests. Tests Since this is a hematological case, most of the tests that will be conducted are going to be blood-related. The first test is to do a full blood count (FBC) to be able to confirm the presence of anemia. A full blood count test counts the number of the different blood cells in an individual. Below is a table showing the normal values for each of the different blood components. Blood Cell type Normal figures. Platelets. 150-450 * 109/l White blood cells 4.5 - 11 * 109/l Neutrophils 2-7 *109/l or 40-80% Eosinophils 1-6 % or 0.02- 0.5 * 109/l Monocytes 0.2 to 1.0 * 19/l or 2 to 9 % Basophils 0. 02-0.1 * 109/l or 1 to 2 % Lymphocytes 1.5-4.0 * 109/l Red Blood Cells. Adult males- 4.5 – 6.5 *1012/l Adult females – 3.8-5.8 * 1012/l. HB Males- 13.8 to 17.2 g/dl Females- 12.1 to 15.1 g/dl Infant- 9.5 to 13g/dl. Newborn: 14 to 24g/dl. MCV 80-100 fl MCH 27-32 pg or 27-32 g/dl. Haematocritt Adult male: 40-54% Adult Female - 37-47% Source: Table created by Student Using Data from Clinical Hematology Textbook. Since this is a female anemic patient, the total number of Red Blood Cells is expected to be below 3.8* 1012/l. The hemoglobin will also be lower than 12.1g/dl. The MCH and MCV values will play a role in distinguishing the type of the anemia that the patient is suffering from. A low MCH value is indicative of hypochromic anemia while a high MCH value is indicative of hyperchromic anemia. On the other hand, a low MCV volume will indicate microcytic anemia and a high MCV is indicative of macrocytic anemia. The next test will be to do a peripheral blood film (PBF), This is done by taking a drop of blood and smearing it on a glass slide. The different characteristics of the different blood cells are then observed. The presence of sickle-shaped red blood cells is indicative of sickle cell anemia. The presence of spherocytes is indicative of thalassemia. The presence of both large and small Red Blood Cells is indicative of anisocytosis. Fragments of Red blood cells will be indicative of hemolytic anemia. The final set of tests are biochemical tests to test the levels of serum iron, ferritin levels, and vitamin B12 (cobalamin). Diagnosis The diagnosis for this case is hemolytic anemia. In the history, the presence of the typical anemic symptoms proves that the patient is suffering from anemia. The diagnosis of hemolytic anemia is supported in the history by the presence of jaundice. Jaundice results from the accumulation of bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is formed as a result of a high breakdown of red blood cells. This is usually the classical sign of hemolytic anemia. The laboratory tests further prove the diagnosis. The full blood count test demonstrates a lower than normal level of Red Blood Cells and hemoglobin. The peripheral blood film is what confirms the diagnosis of hemolytic anemia. The presence of cell fragments in the peripheral Blood film is indicativ...