A lack of RBCs or Hb in the blood causes anemia, which affects the blood’s capacity to deliver oxygen to the body’s tissues (Turner & Badireddy, 2022). Several laboratory tests can indicate the presence of anemia and provide valuable information about its underlying cause. The following values are commonly assessed:
MCH: MCH measures the average amount of hemoglobin within red blood cells (Turner & Badireddy, 2022). Low MCH levels suggest hypochromic anemia, where red blood cells have decreased Hb content.
MCV: MCV measures the average size of RBCs. A low MCV indicates microcytic anemia, characterized by small-sized red blood cells, often seen in iron deficiency anemia (Turner & Badireddy, 2022).
RDW: RDW reflects the variation in the size of RBCs. Elevated RDW values suggest anisocytosis, a condition where red blood cells exhibit significant variation in size. This can be observed in various types of anemia.
Reticulocyte Count: Reticulocytes are immature RBCs. The reticulocyte count indicates the rate at which the bone marrow produces new red blood cells (Freeman et al., 2019). Low reticulocyte counts indicated less red blood cell formation, while high numbers might signify higher red blood cell loss or destruction.
Serum Ferritin: Ferritin is a protein that stores iron. Low blood ferritin levels reflect iron insufficiency, a significant cause of anemia (Freeman et al., 2019).Ferritin levels help assess the body’s iron stores.
TIBC: TIBC measures the volume of transferrin, a protein that transports iron in the plasma to bind with iron (Freeman et al., 2019). Elevated TIBC levels are often observed in iron deficiency anemia as the body attempts to raise its iron-carrying capacity.
Serum Iron: It measures the amount of iron circulating in the plasma. Low serum iron levels can be observed in iron deficiency anemia, while high levels can designate conditions like hemochromatosis.
These laboratory values play a crucial role in diagnosing and understanding the underlying cause of anemia. They provide insights into the size, content, production, and availability of red blood cells and iron in the body (Freeman et al., 2019). By analyzing these values with other clinical information, healthcare professionals can determine the specific type of anemia and guide appropriate treatment interventions, such as iron supplementation, blood transfusion, or addressing the underlying cause.

Que 2: Explain the difference between iron deficiency anemia, thalassemia, and anemia of chronic disease. Briefly describe the treatment for one of these conditions.
Anemia is when you lack enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to your body’s tissues. Anemia is when the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells that provide oxygen to body tissues. This can lead to feelings of fatigue and weakness. As such, the body cannot produce enough hemoglobin in the red blood cells that enable them to carry oxygen (Cash et al., 2021).
A thalassemia is a group of inherited blood disorders that prevent your body from producing hemoglobin. Alpha thalassemia: Missing or mutated genes related to the alpha globin protein. Beta thalassemia Gene defects affect the production of beta globin protein (Staff, 2020). Inheriting the gene from both parents is called thalassemia major. Inheriting it from one parent is called thalassemia minor. (Staff F E., 2020).
Serum iron studies may reveal low iron and ferritin. TIBC differentiates between Iron deficiency anemia and Anemia of chronic disease. In comparison, Mentzer Index is calculated to find if it is Thalassemia and further break down types of anemia chart.
Low Iron and ferritin with High TIBC Iron deficiency anemia.
Low Iron and ferritin with low TIBC Anemia of chronic disease.
Calculation of the Mentzer index (mean corpuscular volume per red cell count) may be helpful. A Mentzer index of less than 13 suggests that the patient has the thalassemia trait, and an index of more than 13 indicates that the patient has iron deficiency. (Pooja Advani,2022)

Iron-deficiency anemia: The amount of red blood cells is low due to the inability of the bone marrow to produce the red blood cells. (Mayoclinic Staff, 2022)

Iron-deficiency anemia management would typically include treating excessive blood loss if the cause of anemia is excessive blood loss, ferrous sulfate 325 mg PO TID for six months, foods high in iron, and foods that help the body absorb iron as foods with Vitamin C. (mayo clinic staff, 2022).