Ask The Expert: Hematology Questions
NAAC physicians are experts in identifying and treating anemia and are available to answer related questions from medical professionals. If you are a medical professional with a question about diagnosing or treating anemia, please Submit Your Question. All appropriate, anemia-related questions from medical professionals will be answered by our Council Members and may be published on the website. Be sure to browse our Question Archive by selecting a topic from the dropdown menu below.
December 30, 2009
At the acute hospital where I work as a physical therapist we tend to suspend out of bed activity for patients with hemoglobin levels below 8.0 g/dL. Does this cut-off sound appropriate? If no increased bleeding occurs, would walking in hallway and doing against-gravity exercises cause any decrease in hemoglobin? [ read Q & A ]
November 19, 2009
Why does a patient’s hematocrit level usually drop more on post-op day 2 than the day after surgery? [ read Q & A ]
October 21, 2009
Regarding the pharmacodynamics of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), how can clinicians achieve optimal erythropoietin serum levels in patients with adequate stored iron? [ read Q & A ]
September 15, 2009
I have a female patient in mid thirties with a persistently low red blood cell count (since 2002) and a high mean corpuscular volume (MCV). Vitamin B12 and folate levels have been well within normal range and ferritin levels are low to normal at 10-15 ng/dL even after year of supplementation. She is not an alcoholic and results of her liver function test (LFT) were within normal limits. What types of causes should be considered and what tests may be necessary for diagnosing anemia in this patient? [ read Q & A ]
July 15, 2009
In the presence of inflammation, would it make sense to analyze soluble hemojuvelin concentration in the blood of patients at-risk for developing anemia of chronic disease to get a more rapid anemia diagnosis? [ read Q & A ]
June 16, 2009
As a physician who regularly treats patients with eating disorders, I was hoping to learn more about the mechanisms at work for a patient of mine. The patient has an serum iron level of 13 µg/dL, a transferrin saturation of 3%, and a ferritin level within normal range. Two weeks ago, the hematocrit level was normal. [ read Q & A ]
May 16, 2009
A diabetic educator suggested to check fructosamine levels instead of HbA1c levels on our diabetic dialysis patients. I'm aware that anemia can affect the results of HbA1c levels, but what advice can you provide regarding this practice? [ read Q & A ]
April 1, 2009
Is it true that the most noticeable impact on a patient’s quality of life is when hemoglobin drops the first 2 g/dL? [ read Q & A ]
March 4, 2009
What effect does fluid volume overload or deficiency have on HbA1c levels with regard to interpretation upon collecting? Likewise, does anemia, end-stage renal disease, or hemolysis affect the usefulness of HbA1c levels? [ read Q & A ]
January 7, 2009
Can donating a unit of blood cause anemia in a female college student? [ read Q & A ]
December 3, 2008
What is the diagnosis of high ferritin with normal other iron status and without the presence of any chronic inflammatory disease? [ read Q & A ]
August 22, 2008
Is there any predisposition for anemia among athletes, specifically the elite athlete population? Also, what recommendations can you give to prevent or treat iron in athletes? [ read Q & A ]
December 8, 2005
In an otherwise healthy patient >50 years old, what should be included in the workup of a normochromic microcytic state and the absence of low hemoglobin or hematocrit? [ read Q & A ]
November 16, 2005
What is the best way to approach a patient with a low hematocrit but normal hemoglobin? [ read Q & A ]
November 4, 2005
When should we consider doing endoscopic evaluations for anemia, especially normocytic anemia in guiac-negative patients? [ read Q & A ]
October 18, 2005
Is serum iron ever useful in diagnosing anemia? [ read Q & A ]
September 5, 2005
Does serum ferritin contain any iron? What is the role of circulating serum ferritin? Why does the serum ferritin level rise in an acute phase reaction? [ read Q & A ]
August 22, 2005
How do you approach high ferritin, low iron saturation anemia (eg, as seen in renal failure and certain chronic diseases)? [ read Q & A ]
August 8, 2005
Is the ferritin level also increased in states of chronic inflammation? [ read Q & A ]
August 8, 2005
What is the treatment for a patient with microcytic, normochromic anemia with thrombocytopenia? [ read Q & A ]
June 27, 2005
Can you explain the transferrin tests? [ read Q & A ]
June 20, 2005
What other manifestations are associated with lead poisoning besides basophilic stippling, indices changes, and those seen in sideroblastic anemias? [ read Q & A ]
March 21, 2005
What is the best single screening test for iron deficiency? [ read Q & A ]
February 7, 2005
Is the MCV or the peripheral smear more sensitive? [ read Q & A ]
Last Updated: February 24, 2010
