Impairment Related to Anemia

 

Symptoms of anemia:

(1) dyspnea on exertion

(2) dizziness or lightheadedness

(3) throbbing headache

(4) palpitations

(5) easy fatigability

(6) increased symptoms of pre-existing vascular disease, such as claudication or angina pectoris

 

Signs of anemia:

(1) skin pallor

(2) tachycardia

(3) systolic ejection murmur

(4) possible heart failure with peripheral edema

 

The severity of the signs and symptoms due to anemia may be affected by:

(1) the rate of onset, with acute onset usually more symptomatic than chronic, due to development of compensatory responses

(2) the hemoglobin level

(3) a patient's physiologic reserve and available compensatory responses.

 

Transfusion requirement:

(1) The duration of benefit of from transfusion is typically 6-8 weeks.

(2) A need for frequent transfusion may indicate hemolysis of transfused blood.

 

Symptoms	Hemoglobin Level before Transfusion	Need for Transfusion	Impairment in percent
none	10-12 g/dL	none	0 - 10%
minimal	8 - 10 g/dL	none	11 - 30%
moderate to marked	5 - 8 g/dL	2-3 units every 4-6 weeks	31 - 70%
moderate to marked	5 - 8 g/dL	2-3 units every 2 weeks	71 - 100%