Introduction: Description of the case and diagnosis
According to the case study, Ms. A, who is 26 years old, experiences shortness of breath and dizziness and lacks energy. During one of the golf games, she had to go to the hospital due to the increasing intensity of the symptoms described above. She clearly explained her symptoms to a physician, and it was necessary to pass different laboratory tests. After careful evaluation of the results, it was discovered that Ms. A had iron deficiency anemia. The description of this condition entirely complied with symptoms and results of laboratory tests. Consequently, the primary goal of the paper is to provide arguments for this diagnosis. In the end, the conclusions are drawn to summarize the main findings of the essay.
Rationale diagnosis: Symptoms
As it was mentioned previously, symptoms described by Ms. A complied with the actual description of iron deficiency anemia. It remains apparent that iron is one of the essential elements required for the sufficient functioning of human body, as it is responsible for maintaining high levels of energy (Longo, 2015). As a consequence, iron deficiency anemia is often accompanied by symptoms such as fatigue, lack of concentration, weakness, and dizziness (Ferri, 2014). When referring to the complaints of Ms. A, along with increased heart rate and shortness of breath, she named the same characteristics by defining the possibility of iron-deficiency anemia as a potential diagnosis. Nonetheless, this condition is associated with some other factors, and subsequent examination and analyses are required.
Rationale for diagnosis: Laboratory tests
At the same time, one cannot underestimate the importance of laboratory testing since it provides valuable insights of the condition of the woman. This matter is vehemently important, as it is one of the most effective instruments to identify a right type of anemia. In this case, the most common signs are low levels of hemoglobin and erythrocyte count (Ferri, 2014; Longo, 2015). In the context of the case study, it was revealed Ms. A had only 8 g/dl of hemoglobin and 3.1 x 10mm of erythrocyte count, and these rates are highly below average.
At the same time, decreased reticulocyte count (1.5%) is also one of the symptoms of anemia, as it is dependent on levels of hemoglobin. However, it can stay within the normal rate during anemia. As for hematocrit, the results of Ms. A were below average (32%), and this finding is another potential sign of anemia. It could be said that this laboratory testing is valuable and highly important since, without it, it will be impossible to provide a clear diagnosis and chose the most appropriate treatment. In this case, the results of these laboratory tests clearly show that iron deficiency anemia is a rational diagnosis.
Conclusion
In the end, the findings provided a clear rationale for iron deficiency anemia’s diagnosis. In the first place, having a conversation with the patient helped propose a preliminary diagnosis, as the identified symptoms complied with the description of anemia. Nonetheless, it was necessary to conduct laboratory testing, as this type of anemia was determined by some characteristics that included decreased levels of hemoglobin, erythrocyte count, and hematocrit. The analysis of Ms. A’s blood clearly supported that she had this diagnosis. In the end, this case study revealed that apart from the importance of physical examination and having a conversation with a patient, it was necessary to conduct laboratory testing, as it provided additional support for the diagnosis.
References
Ferri, F. (2014). Ferri’s clinical advisor. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier MOSBY.
Longo, D. (2015). Iron-deficiency anemia. The New England Journal of Medicine, 372(1), 1832-1843.