Anemia

Etiology / Pathophysiology

• Blood loss, low production, nutrient deficiency, chronic disease, or hemolysis reduces red cell mass.
• Lower hemoglobin reduces oxygen-carrying capacity and increases cardiac workload.

Medications

No specific medication class was seeded for this card.

Nursing actions

• Assess fatigue, pallor, dyspnea, tachycardia, dizziness, and activity tolerance.
• Trend Hgb/Hct and identify bleeding or nutritional causes.
• Cluster care and teach iron/B12/folate guidance only when that cause is confirmed.

Complications

• Falls
• Hypoxia
• Heart strain
• Delayed wound healing

NCLEX cues

• Low Hgb/Hct plus fatigue and shortness of breath.
• Active bleeding changes priority to circulation.

Memory hooks

• Low red cells means low oxygen delivery.

Labs / Diagnostics

• Hgb/Hct
• Reticulocyte count
• Iron studies, B12, folate when ordered
• Stool occult blood if GI loss suspected

Review notes

• Session-derived study seed. Verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy before relying on details.