The leading web portal for pharmacy resources, news, education and careers November 20, 2009

Aplastic Anemia Disease State Management

Disease Index AIDS/HIV Alcoholism Alzheimer's Disease Aplastic Anemia Arthritis Asthma Awareness Attention Deficit Disorder Autism Bacterial Meningitis Bipolar Disorder Breast Cancer Bronchitis Cancer Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Celiac Disease Chicken Pox Cholesterol Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Crohn's Disease Croup Cystic Fibrosis Depression Diabetes Down Syndrome Edema Endometriosis Epilepsy Fifth Disease GERD Glaucoma Gout Graves' Disease H. Pylori Hair Loss Headache Heartburn Heart Disease Hemochromatosis Hepatitis Hernia Herpes HIV/AIDS Hodgkin's Disease Influenza Irritable Bowel Syndrome Juvenile Arthritis Laryngitis Leukemia Lichen Sclerosus Lupus Lyme Male Infertility Mastoiditis Measles Menopause Melanoma Migraine Multiple Sclerosis Myasthenia Gravis Narcolepsy Osteoporosis Parkinson's Disease Peptic Ulcer Disease Prostate Cancer Psoriasis Rabies Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever   SARS Sickle Cell Anemia Sinusitis Sleep Apnea Sleep Disorders Streptococcal infections Thyroid Disease Tonsillitis Toxic Shock Syndrome Tuberculosis West Nile Virus Aplastic anemia is a rare disease that affects approximately 2 to 6 out of every 1 million people in the US. It is a disease of the bone marrow which ultimately leads to the body's inability to produce a sufficient amount of new red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Patients who suffer from this disease are susceptible to infection, prolonged bleeding from normal cuts and lesions due to the body's reduced ability to clot, and general fatigue due to decreased amounts of red blood cells that are responsible for delivering oxygen and removing waste throughout the body. Aplastic anemia can be caused by exposure to radiation, chemotherapy, environmental toxins, select medications, viral infections (hepatitis, parvovirus B19, HIV, infectious mononucleosis), and some types of autoimmune diseases. Although a rare disease, early diagnosis by blood tests and confirmation by bone marrow biopsy is critical in providing the best treatment options for your patients. Treatment options are based upon severity of the anemia and the cause of the disease. Patients who experience short-term anemia caused by pregnancy, infectious mononucleosis, and radiation therapy should recover without treatment. However, supportive therapy to treat low blood counts may be necessary through blood transfusions and preventative antibiotic therapy. Although these are necessary to treat the symptoms, they will not cure the disease. Treatment options for true Aplastic anemia include bone marrow transplant and immunosuppressive therapy. Success rates vary by patient age, but can be as high as 80% with a good bone marrow match. Links - Aplastic Anemia National Heart Lung and Blood Institute - Overview of Aplastic Anemia. The Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation is the oldest and largest patient advocate and support organization for aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), and other bone marrow failure diseases. Information for healthcare professionals’ from Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. If you would like to recommend a site for this section, contact us through our Contact Page.

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