Home › Clinical Tools › Anemia workup

🩸 Anemia Differential Interpretation

UseFrame the anemia workup by cell size and marrow response, then quantify with the dedicated calculators.

Loading calculator…

SourceCascio MJ, DeLoughery TG. Med Clin North Am 2017. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2016.09.003

Runs locally in your browser (no PHI uploaded). For licensed clinicians — not a substitute for clinical judgement.
Stored on this device for revisit reminders

This-shift next steps

After scoring: open the scene pack, peer scores, and the matching pathway. Local reference — no HIS write.

Scene next step
📋hematologyOpen scene pack →
Related scores
Matching pathway
🧭febrile_neutropeniaOpen pathway →
Score + version; reference only — not a substitute for care · no HIS write

Paste the link in Slack, Teams, X, or LinkedIn — the preview image comes from this page’s Open Graph card.

Methodology · worked example, guidelines & full notes
Clinical takeaway

Microcytic: iron deficiency vs thalassaemia vs chronic disease.

When to use

Frame the anemia workup by cell size and marrow response, then quantify with the dedicated calculators.

How it works

Microcytic < 80 fL, normocytic 80–100, macrocytic > 100 fL; reticulocyte production index > 2–3 = marrow response.

Key points

  • Microcytic: iron deficiency vs thalassaemia vs chronic disease.
  • Ferritin is an acute-phase reactant — falsely raised in inflammation.
  • Reticulocyte index separates haemolysis/blood loss from underproduction.
  • Macrocytosis: check B12/folate, alcohol/liver disease, hypothyroidism, MDS.

References

Worked calculation

The values below come from this tool's own example placeholders and are computed server-side with the formula shown on this page, so the arithmetic can be checked quickly. It demonstrates how to substitute values only — it is not clinical advice and not a real case.

ViewNormocytic

→DifferentialNormocytic

  • Reticulocytes ↑：Haemolysis / blood loss (see 'RPI'); check LDH/bilirubin/haptoglobin/smear
  • Reticulocytes ↓：Chronic disease, renal (EPO ↓), early iron deficiency, marrow suppression
ViewBy MCV

→DifferentialBy MCV

  • Microcytic < 80 fL：Iron deficiency, thalassaemia, chronic disease (some), sideroblastic
  • Normocytic 80–100：Acute blood loss, chronic disease, haemolysis, renal, marrow
  • Macrocytic > 100：Megaloblastic (B12/folate), alcohol/liver disease, hypothyroidism, MDS, high reticulocytes
Verification & sources · governance
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What are the limits and cautions when using Anemia Differential Interpretation?
For licensed clinicians and clinical researchers. Interpret results with history, investigations and local protocols; not a diagnosis or prescription, and not a substitute for multidisciplinary decision-making or local guidelines.
Does Anemia Differential Interpretation upload patient data? Where is it calculated?
Calculation runs locally in the browser; inputs and results are not uploaded. For licensed clinicians only; interpret with history, investigations and local protocols — not a diagnosis or prescription.
How is Anemia Differential Interpretation calculated in practice? Can you show a worked example?
Inputs: View Normocytic → Result: Differential Normocytic（Reticulocytes ↑: Haemolysis / blood loss (see 'RPI'); check LDH/bilirubin/haptoglobin/smear, Reticulocytes ↓: Chronic disease, renal (EPO ↓), early iron deficiency, marrow suppression） Inputs: View By MCV → Result: Differential By MCV（Microcytic < 80 fL: Iron deficiency, thalassaemia, chronic disease (some), sideroblastic, Normocytic 80–100: Acute blood loss, chronic disease, haemolysis, renal, marrow, Macrocytic > 100: Megaloblastic (B12/folate), alcohol/liver disease, hypothyroidism, MDS, high reticulocytes）
Related tools

Other tools