Case Study Analysis: Iron Deficiency Anemia Secondary to Menorrhagia

This case study presents a diagnostic assignment focused on a patient experiencing menorrhagia, leading to iron deficiency anemia. The diagnosis is based on subjective and objective medical data, including the patient's symptoms of shortness of breath and fatigue, which worsen during menstrual cycles. Lab results indicate a significantly low hemoglobin level (8mg/dl), low reticulocyte count (1.5%), reduced hematocrit (32%), and abnormal RBC smear (3.1*10/mm), all pointing to severe iron deficiency. The rationale connects menorrhagia as a primary cause of chronic iron deficiency, exacerbated by the patient's use of aspirin, potentially causing gastrointestinal bleeding, and her athletic activities, which increase RBC expansion and iron loss. Reduced reticulocyte concentration further supports the diagnosis, indicating the body's struggle to compensate for oxygen demand due to low hemoglobin levels. The study concludes that the patient suffers from iron deficiency anemia based on the comprehensive analysis of symptoms, lab data, and lifestyle factors.

Running head: DIAGNOSTIC ASSIGNMENT
Diagnostic assignment
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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DIAGNOSTIC ASSIGNMENT
Table of Contents
Introduction and diagnosis:..............................................................................................................2
Rationale:.........................................................................................................................................2
Reference:........................................................................................................................................4

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Introduction and diagnosis:
According to the subjective and objective medical data represented in the case study, it is
apparent that the patient had been suffering from menorrhagia from a considerable amount of
time, as per the fact that the patient had been suffering from shortness of breath and fatigue, a 10-
12 years, few symptoms that escalated during her menstrual cycles. Along with that it also needs
to mentioned that the menorrhagia is a bleeding disorder that a large variety of women suffer
from which is characterized by abnormally heavy menstrual bleeding during the menstrual cycle,
and in this case the blood loss cannot be replenished by the physio-chemical metabolic pathways
of the human body. As per the data gathered from the lab workup for the patient, all the vital
data indicates at heavy anemic status. Now there are various types of anemia and as per the
symptoms experienced by the patient, such as 8mg/dl hemoglobin, 1.5% reticulocyte, 32%
hematocrit, and 3.1*10/mm RBC smear indicate at extreme iron deficiency in the patient. Along
with that, it also has to be mentioned that the patient had symptoms like low blood pressure,
elevated heart rate, shortness of breath and higher body temperature indicate that the patents has
been suffering with iron deficiency anemia (Camaschella, 2015).
Rationale:
According to the data represented by the case study, the patient had been suffering with
long term Manorrhagia, which had been the primary medical complication for the patient which
demanded her to take the medication help as well. According to the authors, extreme and
unwarranted abnormal bleeding during the menstrual cycle is a primary contributing factor
leading to accumulation of chronic iron deficiency anemia in the adult individuals. Along with
that to also needs to be mentioned in this context that the patient under consideration had been

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taking high dosage of aspirin during her monthly cycle to avoid osteomucular stiffness which is
characteristic of chronic iron deficiency. Now anti-inflammatory or analgesic drug taken in high
dosage in log term basis is known to cause severe gastrointestinal bleeding as well, which can be
another cause behind the extreme iron deficiency and blood loss in the patient leading to iron
deficiency anemia (Corrales-Medina et al., 2014).
Along with that, considering the fact that Ms A had also been a full time golf player and
as young adult athletes are very prone to developing iron deficiency anemia due to the extreme
expansion of the RBC during the endurance training and leads to extremely low serum iron
concentration. Along with that the additional gastrointestinal bleeding also increases the chance
of extreme lack of iron in the body as well (Ananthi Krishnamoorthy et al., 2017). Along with
that the patent had also been suffering with reduced reticulocyte concentration is also indicative
of the extreme iron deficiency anemia due to which her body mechanism struggle to compensate
the xygen requirement in the body due to extreme low hemoglobin which increases her body
temperature above the normal limits. Hence based on the above mentioned data it can be safely
concluded that the patient has been suffering with iron deficiency anemia (Lopez et al., 2016).

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DIAGNOSTIC ASSIGNMENT
Reference:
Ananthi Krishnamoorthy, M. D., Hadi, F., Care, D. P., Naidu, A., & Sathar, J. (2017). The
modern implementation of patient blood management (PBM) in Malaysia: the use of
intravenous iron in severe anaemia with iron deficiency–A Case Report. Med J
Malaysia, 72(1), 53.
Camaschella, C. (2015). Iron-deficiency anemia. New England Journal of Medicine, 372(19),
1832-1843.
Corrales-Medina, F. F., Grant, L., Egas-Bejar, D., Valdivia-Ascuna, Z., Rodriguez, N., &
Mancias, P. (2014). Cerebral sinovenous thrombosis associated with iron deficiency
anemia secondary to severe menorrhagia: a case report. Journal of child
neurology, 29(9), NP62-NP64.
Lopez, A., Cacoub, P., Macdougall, I. C., & Peyrin-Biroulet, L. (2016). Iron deficiency
anaemia. The Lancet, 387(10021), 907-916.