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Introduction to haematological disorders

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Blood film (image courtesy of the University of Cambridge).

Anaemia is the most common medical disorder in pregnancy. Some degree of this anaemia is physiological dilution as although the red cell mass increases by up to 25%, the plasma volume increases by up to 50%.

This tutorial will cover:

  • anaemia in pregnancy
  • haemoglobinopathy in pregnancy
  • platelet disorders in pregnancy
  • bleeding disorders in pregnancy
  • thromboembolic disease in pregnancy

Learning objectives

When you have completed this tutorial you will understand:

  • the aetiology and the maternal and fetal effects of anaemia in pregnancy
  • how to detect and manage anaemia antenatally
  • the aetiology and diagnosis of haemoglobinopathies in pregnancy
  • the implications for and management in pregnancy of thalassaemias and sickle cell disease
  • the differential diagnosis for thrombocytopenia in pregnancy
  • the normal mechanism of coagulation and how this alters in pregnancy
  • how to conduct the prenatal counselling and subsequent management of those women with inherited bleeding disorders
  • how to manage the antenatal, intranatal and postpartum care of a women with a previous thromboembolism or with an inherited thrombophilia
  • how to diagnose and treat a thromboembolic event in pregnancy

Last updated: 14/10/10 (tutorial reviewed and updated by Dr Louise Byrd)

18/11/09 (new Green-top guideline on thrombosis and embolism uploaded to the Preliminary reading page).

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