Practical approach to Anemia

Anemia is a condition where there are either too few red blood cells or too little hemoglobin in them. The capacity of the blood to transfer oxygen to the body's tissues will be reduced if you have too few or malformed red blood cells, not enough hemoglobin, or both. Hemoglobin is required to carry...

• Anemia is defined as hemoglobin levels below 13.6 g/dL in males and 12 g/dL in females, and is classified based on pathophysiology (diminished production or increased destruction) and RBC size (MCV: microcytic, normocytic, macrocytic). Diminished production results in low reticulocyte counts, while increased destruction leads to elevated reticulocyte counts. Reticulocyte count is a marker of bone marrow function, also elevated in acute blood loss or after replacing deficiencies like iron.