Chronic Anemia Differential Diagnoses

  • Author: Christopher D Braden, DO; Chief Editor: Barry E Brenner, MD, PhD, FACEP   more...
 
Updated: Jun 6, 2011
 
 

Diagnostic Considerations

Be vigilant for acute blood loss while attributing low Hgb and hematocrit values to a chronic state.

Consider anemia as an etiologic factor in patients who present with dyspnea, headache, angina, or altered mental status.

Consider anemia as a contributing factor to jaundice (hemolytic anemia) while focusing on other conditions, such as acute hepatitis, that can present with jaundice.

Be vigilant for the presence of pancytopenia.

Conditions to consider in the differential diagnosis of anemia, along with those in the next section, include the following:

  • Hemophilia, type A
  • Hemophilia, type B
  • Hemorrhoids
  • Henoch-Sch ö nlein purpura
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Malaria
  • Methemoglobinemia
  • Mononucleosis
  • Mycoplasma pneumonia
  • Cushing syndrome
  • Alcohol and substance abuse
  • Coccidioidomycosis
  • Dengue fever
  • Disseminated intravascular coagulation
  • Dysfunctional uterine bleeding
  • Dysmenorrhea
  • Sarcoidosis
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus

Differential Diagnoses

Proceed to Workup
 
 
Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Christopher D Braden, DO  Hematologist/Oncologist, Chancellor Center for Oncology at Deaconess Hospital; Hematologist/Oncologist, St Francis Hospital System Cancer Center

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Eric Wilke, MD  Medical Director, Traditions Emergency Medicine, College Station Medical Center

Eric Wilke, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians and Texas Medical Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Roy Alson, MD, PhD, FACEP, FAAEM  Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine; Medical Director, Forsyth County EMS; Deputy Medical Advisor, North Carolina Office of EMS; Associate Medical Director, North Carolina Baptist AirCare

Roy Alson, MD, PhD, FACEP, FAAEM is a member of the following medical societies: Air Medical Physician Association, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, National Association of EMS Physicians, North Carolina Medical Society, North Carolina Medical Society, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, and Wilderness Medical Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Medscape Salary Employment

Jeffrey L Arnold, MD, FACEP  Chairman, Department of Emergency Medicine, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center

Jeffrey L Arnold, MD, FACEP is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine and American College of Physicians

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Barry E Brenner, MD, PhD, FACEP  Professor of Emergency Medicine, Professor of Internal Medicine, Program Director, Emergency Medicine, Case Medical Center, University Hospitals, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Barry E Brenner, MD, PhD, FACEP is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Physicians, American Heart Association, American Thoracic Society, Arkansas Medical Society, New York Academy of Medicine, New York Academy of Sciences, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Acknowledgments

The authors and editors of Medscape Reference gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous author Fredrick Melik Abrahamian, DO, FACEP,to the development and writing of the source article.

References
  1. [Guideline] American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Anemia in pregnancy. Jul 2008;[Full Text].

  2. Zittermann A, Jungvogel A, Prokop S, Kuhn J, Dreier J, Fuchs U, et al. Vitamin D deficiency is an independent predictor of anemia in end-stage heart failure. Clin Res Cardiol. Apr 7 2011;[Medline].

  3. Omar N, Salama K, Adolf S, El-Saeed GS, Abdel Ghaffar N, Ezzat N. Major risk of blood transfusion in hemolytic anemia patients. Blood Coagul Fibrinolysis. Apr 19 2011;[Medline].

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