APLASTIC ANEMIA

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Introduction:

                    Aplastic anemia is a condition that occurs when your body stops producing enough new blood cells due to damage or surgical removal of the bone marrow. 

Epidemiology:       

                      The overall incidence of aplastic anemia in the study area was 2.34 cases per million population per year, and the mortality at 1 year was 1 death every one million cases per year. Both increased with age. Survival rates were 73% at 3 years of months, 57% at 2 to 5 years of age, and 51% at 5 years of age.

Causes: 

  1. Radiation and chemotherapy treatments
  2. Exposure to toxic chemicals
  3. Use of certain drugs
  4. Autoimmune disorders
  5. A viral infection           
  6. Pregnancy  

Symptoms:

  1. Fatigue
  2. Shortness of breath
  3. Rapid or irregular heart rate
  4. Pale skin
  5. Frequent or prolonged infections
  6. Unexplained or easy bruising
  7. Nosebleeds and bleeding gums
  8. Prolonged bleeding from cuts.

Diagnosis:

                There is only one test that is used to diagnose aplastic anemia and that is bone marrow biopsy.

Treatment:

                 The only cure for aplastic anemia is a bone marrow transplant.

References: 

  1. The introduction, causes and symptoms were taken from mayo clinic and the URL is https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/aplastic-anemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355015#:~:text=Overview,can%20develop%20at%20any%20age.
  2. The epidemiolgy was taken from an article from a journel called haematologica and the authors of this article are Eva Montané,  Luisa Ibáñez, Xavier Vidal, Elena Ballarín, Ramon Puig, Nuria García, Joan-Ramon Laporte and the URL is https://www.haematologica.org/article/view/4811#:~:text=The%20overall%20incidence%20of%20aplastic,and%2051%25%20at%2015%20years.
  3. The diagnosis was taken from Mayo clinic and the URL is https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/aplastic-anemia/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355020#:~:text=Bone%20marrow%20biopsy.&text=The%20sample%20is%20examined%20under,requires%20a%20bone%20marrow%20biopsy.
  4. The treatment was taken from the Cleveland Clinic and the URL is https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16747-aplastic-anemia#:~:text=The%20only%20cure%20for%20aplastic%20anemia%20is%20a%20bone%20marrow,and%20thrombopoietin%20receptor%20agonist%20eltrombopag.
       
                  




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