Thalassemia
Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.
Hematologic / ImmuneAutoimmune / GeneticPediatricsmedium priorityneeds review
Thalassemia
Also testable as: Alpha thalassemia, Beta thalassemia, Cooley anemia
Etiology / Pathophysiology
- Inherited reduced globin chain production causes chronic microcytic anemia.
- Ineffective RBC production and hemolysis can cause anemia, marrow expansion, splenomegaly, and iron overload from transfusions.
Medications
No specific medication class was seeded for this card.
Nursing actions
- Assess fatigue, pallor, growth, splenomegaly, and transfusion history.
- Monitor for iron overload and chelation teaching if ordered.
- Teach genetic counseling relevance and infection precautions if splenectomy is involved.
Complications
- Iron overload
- Heart/liver endocrine damage
- Splenomegaly
- Growth delay
NCLEX cues
- Microcytic anemia not corrected like simple iron deficiency.
- Transfusions can create iron overload.
Memory hooks
- Thalassemia is globin production problem plus iron overload risk.
Labs / Diagnostics
- CBC indices
- Iron studies
- Hemoglobin electrophoresis
- Ferritin
Review notes
- Supplemental wife-requested study card. Use for NCLEX review only and verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy.