Common Blood Abnormalities
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Transcript Common Blood Abnormalities
Common Blood
Abnormalities
Miss Samantha Chambers
CT1 General Surgery
3rd August 2015
Aims
Recognising common blood abnormalities including;
Deranged potassium, sodium, phosphate, magnesium
and haemoglobin
Learn how to manage these in an acute setting
Understand importance of the clinical picture, not just
the numbers
Hopefully feel a little less scared about Wednesday!
Case 1
Mrs A is an 83 yr old lady on the surgical ward admitted
today with an incarcerated inguinal hernia
You check the bloods for Mrs A at 4.30pm, just as you
are about to leave
Unfortunately her blood results are as follows;
Hb110, WBC 12, CRP 25, Na 138, K+6.5, Ur 6, Creat 102
How are you going to manage this lady?
High potassium
(hyperkalaemia)
Normal range 3.5 – 5.5
>5.5mmol considered raised
Threshold for treatment is 6.0 or ECG changes/symptoms
Can be caused by AKI (or ESRF)
ECG changes in hyperkalaemia:
Low, flat p waves
Broad, bizarre QRS
Slurring into the ST segment
Tall tented T waves
Management
Acute treatment:
ECG
Stop any antagonistic drugs
10mls 10% Calcium Gluconate (cardiac monitoring)
10 units actrapid insulin in 50mls of 50% dextrose(can do 20%)
dextrose over 30 mins
Salbutamol 5mg nebs
Repeat K+ 4 hours post infusion
Longer-term treatment
Find cause
Calcium resonium 15g TDS
Case 2
75 yr old lady, Mrs B, has been on the medical ward
with a LRTI for a few days
You check her blood results at 6pm, just as you are
about to leave and they are as follows (sorry!);
Hb 120, WBC 6, CRP16, Na 136, K+2.0, Urea 4.3, Creat
99
How would you manage this lady?
Low potassium
(hypokalaemia)
• Lethargy
• Cardiac arrhythmias
• Management;
• Depends on level
• Find the cause
• <3 IV replacement – max
80mmol KCl per day via
peripheral line
• 40mmol in 5% Dextrose
or 0.9% N Saline over 412 hours
• >3 oral – 2 tablets Sando-K
TDS for 3 days only (monitor
K+)
You are an excellent F1 doctor and have been diligently
replacing Mrs B’s potassium inravenously for the past
two days
You check her blood results today at 7pm, ad are
certain that they will have improved;
Hb 120, WBC 5, CRP10, Na 135, K+1.9, Urea 4.0, Creat
97
Uh oh!
Why hasn’t Mrs B’s potassium improved? What
else do you need to check?
Remember;
In hypokalaemia, always check the magnesium
level
K+ will not rise if Mg low
Low magnesium
(hypomagnesaemia)
Can be due to poor diet, diuretics (loop), refeeding
syndrome
Can lead to arrhythmias!
Replace as per trust guidelines
Either:
Magnesium Glycerophosphate 2 tabs (8mmol) TDS for 3
days
Or 20mmols MgSO4 in 500/1000ml N.Saline/5% dextrose
over 4-8 hours
Low phosphate
(hypophosphataemia)
Can be due to poor diet, GI losses (diarrhoea)
Beware REFEEDING SYNDROME
If patient not eaten for 5/7 at risk
When fed, serum levels of Ca, Mg, PO4, K all plummet
Low PO4 can lead to seizures
See Intranet guidelines for replacement regimes:
Phosphate Sandoz 2 tabs TDS for 3 days
Or if <0.5 – Phosphate polyfusor as per guidelines
Rate of 9mmol over 12 hours
500ml bag contains 100mmol phosphate
So give 100ml over 24 hours – will deliver 20mmol phosphate
(must discard rest of bag)
Indications for haemofiltration
Persistent hyperkalaemia, resistant to treatment
Acidosis, resistant to treatment
Pulmonary oedema, resistant to treatment
Low sodium (hyponatraemia)
<135mmol
Very common – causes are many, commonest are drugs!
PPIs, Diuretics, SSRIs
In reality unlikely to cause problems unless < 120-125
Can cause seizures
If <135 & >125 and stable can usually just observe
Trust guideline on hyponatraemia is good
Treatment depends on cause (hypovolaemic, euvolaemic,
hypervolaemic)
Management;
Find the cause;
Send urine osmolality and serum osmolality, urine sodium
and serum sodium
Check drug kardex for culprit drugs
Can fluid restrict to 1.5L per day (not if hypovolaemic!)
High sodium
(hypernatraemia)
>145mmol
Usually due to dehydration, or too much 0.9% Saline!
Treat with IVI (Dextrose, not Hartmann’s or 0.9%
Saline!!)
If the patient is well, ask them to drink more!
Recheck U&E’s
Low haemoglobin (anaemia)
With low MCV
With normal MCV
With high MCV
Consider the cause
Is the patient acutely
bleeding?
Occult haemorrhage?
Post-op?
Chronic
disease/malignancy?
Renal failure?
Management;
If Hb <80 or patient is
symptomatic then usually
a role for transfusion –
discuss with senior as
some clinicians may wish
for higher levels in
specific situations
Transfusion written as
RBC to be given over 2-3
hours (in stable patients)
If acutely bleeding and
massive haemorrhage
suspected then activate
MHP by calling 2222
High WBC (leucocytosis)
Usually a sign of infection
Elderly or immunosuppressed (eg. steroids or
transplant patients) – dampened immune response so
may not mount a leucocytosis in response to sepsis
Remember SIRS – WBC <4 or >12
N.B. Patients on steroids may have a neutrophilia
Low WBC (neutropenia)
Can be caused by sepsis (e.g. atypical infections or elderly)
Or by bone marrow suppression e.g. post chemo, or bone marrow
failure e.g. MDS
Neutropenia <1.0 x109
If <1.0 and signs of SIRS/Sepsis – follow trust neutropenic sepsis
guidelines
Side room
Cultures and CXR
IV Abx ( as per guidelines)
IVI
Discuss with haematology
Raised CRP
Acute phase inflammatory
marker
24 hour lag
Can be raised in
inflammation, infection,
malignancy
Will be raised postoperatively
Management;
Search for cause/source
Are there obvious signs of
infection eg. urine, chest?
If signs of SIRS/sepsis then
do a septic screen – CXR,
urine dip, ABG, blood
cultures, bloods, if indicated:
wound, line, drain cultures
If suspected source of
infection then treat
accordingly – sepsis six
Do not treat purely on basis
of the numbers
SIRS and Sepsis
SIRS criteria;
Temperature <36 or >38
HR >90 bpm
RR >20 or PaCO2 >4.3kPa
WBC <4 or >11
Sepsis = SIRS + source
of infection/suspected
source
Septic shock = Sepsis +
organ hypoperfusion
leading to organ
dysfunction
Low platelets
(thrombocytopaenia)
Sepsis
Post-chemotherapy
Coagulopathy
Drugs
LMWH-induced
thrombocytopaenia
HITT syndrome
If <80 can’t have
procedures e.g. liver
biopsy or surgery
If <50 hold LMWH
Management;
May need discussion with
haematology
May require platelets prior
to procedure
Raised platelets
(thrombocytosis)
Usually a reactive finding
Can be raised due to infection, inflammation, surgery,
hyposplenism, splenectomy
If persistently raised platelets with no explanation –
discuss with haematology re: further investigations ?
myelodysplastic syndrome eg. polycythaemia rubra
vera, CML
Deranged clotting factors
DIC – low fibrinogen, raised PT, INR, low platelets
Raised INR;
Stop warfarin (if on warfarin)
Look for cause (if not on warfarin)
Trust guidelines for management
If INR raised but no acute bleeding – Vitamin K 5mg PO,
or Vitamin K 5mg IV – depends on level, and whether
operation is likely to take place
If acutely bleeding and INR >8 then prothrombin complex
(octaplex) needs discussion with haematology first
LFT’s made easy…
Standard LFTs: Albumin, Bilirubin, ALT/AST, ALP/GGT
Raised bilirubin = Jaundiced (>50)
Pre-hepatic (unconjugated) e.g. haemolysis, Gilbert’s syndrome
Hepatic (mixed) e.g. viral hepatitis, drugs, ischaemia
Post hepatic/ obstructive (conjugated) – dark urine, pale stools
ALP/GGT are markers of obstructive jaundice i.e. gallstone in CBD
ALT/AST are makers of hepatic damage i.e. viral hepatitis
If ALP/GGT rise is > than ALT/AST it’s a post hepatic problem
If ALT/AST rise is >ALP/GGT it’s a hepatic problem
Hepatitis screen
Serology – Hep B, Hep C, (Hep A and E), HIV
Autoantibodies – AMA, SMA, ANCA, LKM
Iron studies – Ferritin, Serum Iron, TIBC, Transferrin
sats
Others – A1AT genotype, Caeruloplasmin & Copper
levels
Don’t forget to USS the liver
P.S. You don’t need to get a gastro review before doing
these!
Low albumin
(hypoalbuminaemia)
Negative phase inflammatory marker
In sepsis it will drop – this doesn’t mean they’re
malnourished
Can be low as a marker of malnutrition if chronic (but
Anorexics often have normal levels)
When <20-24 can develop oedema
No role for IV albumin replacement!!
Low calcium (hypocalcaemia)
Can occur due to drugs
(diuretics), poor diet,
refeeding syndrome
<2.2 (adjusted calcium)
Symptoms includes
cramps and tetany
Management;
ECG
AdCal1-2 tabs OD
or IV replacement
10mls 10% Calcium
gluconate
Prolongation of QT interval (QTc)
Raised calcium
(hypercalcaemia)
Can occur in renal failure, Management;
dehydration and
malignancy (particularly
breast)
Stones, bones, moans,
psychological groans
Renal tract calculi
Bone pain / fractures
Constipation
Depression
ECG
IV fluid replacement
Bisphosphonates eg.
Pamidronate – only if
calcium >3
Discuss with renal team if
associated renal failure
Shortening of QT interval
Case 3
78 yr old man, Mr C
PC – ‘Off legs’
HPC – Care staff state he has been unwell for past few days in the care
home. No appetite. Unable to mobilise today. Seems more confused
PMH – IHD, MI x 3 previously, previous TIA’s, prostate cancer and chronic
back pain
Allergies – Nil
Medications – Ramipril, spironolactone, omeprazole, MST (recently started by
pain team)
Social – Lives in a care home, usually lucid and able to undertake personal
care for himself
O/E:
Unkempt and strong smell of urine
Temp 38.6, BP 130/80, HR 68bpm, regular, RR 16, 02
sats 98% on air
Appears very confused – believes he is at his marital
home, and that the year is 1972
Not oriented in time/place/person
HS 1+11+0
Chest - Reduced air entry at left base
Abdomen soft, non-tender
Investigations
Bedside
Urine dip – positive for leucocytes, nitrites and protein
ECG- no acute ischaemic changes
Bloods
Hb 120, WBC 16, Ur 8.9, Creat 109, K+4, Na 125, CRP
40, INR 1
Imaging
CXR- cardiomegaly, shadowing at left base suggestive of
consolidation
Differentials?
Acute confusion secondary to;
UTI
LRTI
Hyponatraemia
Opioids
Confusion screen
Acute confusion, acute delirium or undiagnosed
dementia?
Septic screen inc FBC, U&Es, LFTs, CRP, BCMs, urine
dip, CXR
Check TSH, B12, Folate
Consider CT head
Check the drug chart!!
Case 4
A 92 yr old gentleman, Mr D, is admitted having sustained a right
NOF fracture. He was given diclofenac in A&E as he was in a lot of
pain.
He is operated on, on the same day of admission (which is a
Saturday, Jeremy), and is taken back to the orthopaedic ward.
Unfortunately they are extremely understaffed, and Mr D, who
usually requires assistance to eat and drink, gets slightly
overlooked as there is a very sick patient overnight who is periarrest
His initial blood results were;
Hb 140 WBC 6 CRP 6 Na 140 K+4.5 Ur 5 Creat 90
You are the F1 on call on Sunday and are asked to recheck his
blood results…
His blood results today are;
Hb 135 WBC 10 CRP 15 Na 144 K+4.4 Ur 10 Creat 190
O/E:
Appears very dehydrated, with dry mucous membranes
Observations stable
No oozing from wound site
HS1+11+0
Chest clear
Abdomen soft, non-tender
Urine output for past 3 hours ~ 15ml
How will you manage Mr D?
Acute kidney injury
In adults, a diagnosis of
AKI can be made if:
Blood creatinine level has
risen from the baseline
value for that person (by
26 micromoles per litre or
more within 48 hours)
Blood creatinine level has
risen over time (by 50% or
more within the past 7 days)
Oliguria (less than 0.5ml
per kg per hour for more
than 6 hours)
Management;
Try to identify a cause eg.
recent contrast?
Dehydration?
Stop any culprit drugs
(especially NSAID’s in
elderly)
IV fluid replacement
Discuss with renal team
Dehydration
A proportional rise in both
urea and creatinine
membranes, patient feels
thirsty, oliguria or anuria
However, urea may be
slightly more raised than
creatinine
Note: If urea is dramatically
raised out of proportion to
creatinine – suspect GI
bleed (as the blood acts as a
protein meal)
Clinically – dry mucous
Management;
Search for the cause
IV fluid replacement
Catheterise patient
Meet fluid demand eg. if
high output fistula/stoma
Discuss with renal team
Summary
Remember to repeat the sample if you suspect a
spurious result
Common things are common – low/high potassium and
sodium and anaemia
Trust guidelines can be very useful
Don’t panic!
If in doubt, ask!
Questions?