Jessica Johnson reports on potential findings in a virtual patient suspected of being anaemic, and investigates the process and results of a multicentre clinical trial comparing the use of monoclonal antibody treatment versus placebo.
A 65-year-old woman presented to her GP with fatigue, dizzy spells and mild jaundice. Patient history showed no reports of any medical conditions, but her father had hypertension. She had no history of blood transfusion nor regular medication. A physical examination confirmed the patient was light-headed and breathless after a short walk. Anaemia was suspected and a full blood count (FBC), peripheral blood film and additional renal function tests were ordered.
Laboratory investigations
Peripheral blood film showed normocytic anaemia, with polychromasia from reticulocytosis, spherocytes and nucleated red blood cells, indicating haemolytic anaemia.1–3 The FBC results in Table 1 show a decreased haemoglobin (Hb), haematocrit (Hct) and red blood cell (RBC) count, also indicating anaemia, and is consistent with the dizzy spells experienced and the breathlessness as a result of the low Hb and reduced oxygen carrying capacity.2
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