In this instructional video, the presenter compares three common types of anemia encountered in nursing school—iron deficiency anemia, aplastic anemia, and pernicious (vitamin B12‑deficiency) anemia. The lesson begins by emphasizing that understanding the underlying pathophysiology is essential for critical thinking and success on med‑surg exams. A brief overview of anemia is provided, explaining the role of red blood cells, hemoglobin, and oxygen transport, and how anemia is diagnosed via CBC parameters (RBC count, hemoglobin, hematocrit). The video then details each anemia: - Iron deficiency anemia: caused by insufficient iron intake, increased loss (menstruation, GI bleeding, pregnancy), leading to reduced hemoglobin synthesis. Typical symptoms include lethargy, dyspnea, pallor, tachycardia, and low iron/hemoglobin labs. - Aplastic anemia: an immune‑mediated attack on bone‑marrow stem cells resulting in pancytopenia (low RBCs, WBCs, platelets). Symptoms overlap with iron deficiency (fatigue, dyspnea, pallor, tachycardia) but are distinguished by concurrent neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. - Pernicious anemia: autoimmune destruction of intrinsic factor or parietal cells prevents vitamin B12 absorption. This leads to macrocytic, oval red cells and a spectrum of symptoms: classic anemia signs plus a beefy red tongue, glossitis, altered taste, neurologic deficits (paresthesia, ataxia, memory changes), and gastrointestinal issues due to low stomach acid. The presenter highlights how to link each symptom back to its pathophysiology, offers a free cheat‑sheet for concept integration, and promotes additional resources (med‑surg study guides, pathophysiology study‑tips video, Nursing SOS membership). The closing encourages viewers to apply critical thinking, use the provided tools, and pursue their nursing vocation.
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In this video, we're going to compare three different types of anemia you will be learning about in nursing school. Aplastic anemia, pernicious anemia, and iron deficiency anemia. We'll break down the pathophysiology of each type and explain the differences in the symptoms so you can understand it easier and pass your nursing school exams. Let's dive in. There's something you need to know right up front. The pathophysiology really matters when you're in nursing school. The pathophysiology is the foundation for everything else that you need to know about any med surgical disorder. And knowing it will help you to critically think better on your nursing school exams. This is why we spend so much time breaking down the pathophysiology for you inside the nursing SOS membership community and in the med surg videos that we post here on YouTube. Once you know the path, though, you will be able to critically think through your nursing exam questions better and get them right. The pathophysiology and what is happening inside the body is going to be slightly different with each type of anemia that we're going to talk about. So let's walk through that to understand these different types of anemia. Let's break down the basics. Now, anemia happens when there is a decrease in the amount of red blood cells in the body. Now, why is it important to have enough red blood cells? Well, red blood cells carry oxygen, right? So if there aren't enough red blood CE circulating, then the body could potentially be low on oxygen circulating to the various organs of the body. Anemia is diagnosed by looking at the complete blood count or cbc, looking at the number of red blood cells, the hemoglobin and the hematocrit in the body. Hemoglobin is key here. It's the little protein inside the red blood cells that carries oxygen. So without hemoglobin, red blood cells wouldn't be able to carry oxygen. But in order to make hemoglobin, the body needs iron. So if the body isn't absorbing enough iron, or if the body is losing more red blood cells in the form of blood loss than it can keep up with replacing, then without iron, it will not create enough hemoglobin. And hemoglobin is needed to create red blood cells. Hemoglobin is the part of the red blood cells that helps distribute the oxygen and take away the carbon dioxide throughout the body. So without hemoglobin, that transfer doesn't happen. Lack of oxygen. So now that we have a better idea of what anemia is, let's dive into the most common form of anemia, iron deficiency anemia. This is exactly how it sounds. The body isn't getting enough iron and it causes anemia. With iron deficiency anemia, there is a decrease in hemoglobin because iron is needed to make hemoglobin. So when the body isn't getting enough iron, there won't be as much hemoglobin. So circulating the body. Iron deficiency anemia can be caused by things like not enough intake of iron rich foods, pregnancy, menstruation or gastrointestinal bleeding. So now let's dive into some of the common signs and symptoms of iron deficiency anemia. And here's a key thing to remember. Anytime you're learning a med surgical disorder in nursing school, try to connect everything back to the pathophysiology and what is actually happening in the body. So as we go through the signs and symptoms for the different types of anemias, really be thinking through how they're happening and try to relate them back to the pathophysiology. I also have a free cheat sheet for you to help you critically think and connect the concepts like these together in nursing school. Now, I'm going to put the link to that down below in the description, so be sure to snag that after you watch this video. Now, some common symptoms with iron deficiency anemia are lethargy and tiredness. Because the body is low on oxygen, making sure those main organs are still functioning, it takes a lot of effort and energy. Now, being short on breath is also common as the body is already oxygen deprived. So if the patient tries to exert themselves, it will add an additional layer of stress to their body and can leave them short of breath. The patient may have very pale skin as well because the actual red blood cells themselves are pale due to that decrease in hemoglobin. They will also have a decreased hemoglobin and iron level. The patient may also have an increased heart rate as the heart tries to calm, compensate and circulate more blood so that the organs can be oxygenated adequately. Let's move on to aplastic anemia next. Now, aplastic anemia is caused by the bone marrow not being able to produce enough red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. This is also known as pancytopenia. There is thought to be damaged under the sun's stem cells that are found inside the bone marrow that help produce these cells in the platelets. Aplastic anemia is caused by an immune response where the immune System attacks these stem cells, leaving them damaged and unable to create red blood cells, the white blood cells and platelets. So what does this mean? Since there is a problem with the bone marrow, causing it to be unable to produce enough new blood cells, this leaves less healthy red blood cells to circulate oxygen to the body, causing anemia. Remember, less red blood cells, less hematocrit equals less oxygen. Now, some common symptoms of aplastic anemia are lethargy, shortness of breath and an increased heart rate because the body is working in overdrive trying to get oxygen to the organs and the tissues. And similar to iron deficiency anemia, the patient may have very pale skin because the actual red blood cells themselves are pale due to that decrease in hemoglobin. So their complexion will be pale as well. They will also have a decreased hemoglobin level, red blood cell, white blood cell count and platelet level, because the bone marrow isn't able to keep up with the production of any of those either. Now, remember, in aplastic anemia, the problem is in the bone marrow, so it will affect more than just those red blood cells. This is a key difference between aplastic anemia and iron deficiency anemia. In aplastic anemia, the problem is in the bone marrow. So it affects more than just the red blood cells. It also makes the white blood cell count low, which is called neutropenia, and it makes the platelet count low as well, which is called thrombocytopenia. But with iron deficiency anemia, on the other hand, it primarily affects the red blood cells simply because there's not enough iron in the body to make them all right. Now onto pernicious anemia. Now, this one can be one of the trickier disorders to understand in nursing school because there's a lot that goes into it. So we'll break it down super simple so you can really see what is happening here. Pernicious anemia to a deficiency of vitamin B12. Now, to understand what happens in pernicious anemia, we need to know what B12 is and why it's so important. So, vitamin B12 is usually found in many different foods that we consume, and it is then absorbed using intrinsic factor, which is produced by the parietal cells in the stomach. Once it's absorbed, it plays a key role in making red blood cells. But in pernicious anemia, the parietal cells are not able to produce int factor, so the body isn't able to absorb vitamin B12. There is an autoimmune response where the body either attacks the parietal cells before they can produce the intrinsic factor or it attacks the intrinsic factor itself. Either way, this interrupts the ability to absorb and utilize that B12 for proper red blood cell production. Now, since B12 is required to make red blood cells, without it the body can't make enough to support the needs and the fun the body. Then on top of that, the red blood cells that are made, they'll be large and oval shaped, they'll be fewer in number, and they'll sometimes die sooner than healthy red blood cells because they lack vitamin B12. So the end result is less healthy red blood cells to circulate oxygen to the body. Like we talked about earlier, when there's not enough red blood cells, the body isn't going to be able to circulate enough oxygen appropriately. So the lack of B12 is going to greatly impact that. Now let some of the common symptoms of pernicious anemia, some of them will be similar to the other types of anemia, but some of them are quite different. So we'll talk about why that is. Some common symptoms of pernicious anemia are the lack of red blood cells, lethargy and shortness of breath and pale skin, which like we talked about for the other types of anemia, those are all caused by that lack of healthy red blood cells and the hemoglobin in the body. So those symptoms are similar to the other types of anemia. But here's where things really start to differ. Patients with pernicious anemia may also have a very red tongue, which is sometimes described as beefy in appearance or a beefy red tongue. It tends to be smooth and enlarged and can be sore. For patients, they may experience a change in taste as well. Now this is due to the decreased vitamin B12 levels and can be one of the main symptoms that patients present with that can tip you off about the lack of that vitamin B12 in the healthy red blood cells. Nerve cells in the body also use vitamin B12 to create the myelin sheath that surrounds nerves. This helps the nerves conduct and transmit their messages quickly. But without enough B12, the nervous system can be disrupted too. So patients can have paresthesia or tingling memory changes or ataxia or loss of coordination. Now this is all due to that decrease in vitamin B12 absorption because the intri factor isn't able to absorb that B12. GI symptoms are also common for patients with pernicious anemia. Since the parietal cells in the stomach aren't functioning well. Another role that they play is to produce stomach acid, and without enough acid in the stomach, it can cause bloating, malabsorption, and GI upset. Now, if you want to learn pathophysiology faster in nursing school, check out this video here where I give you my top tips for studying patho easier in nursing. And if you're a nursing SOS member, be sure to download the med surg study guides that we have for you inside the community. And I'd love to hear what video topics you want to see next. So leave those in the comments and I will make a list. And as always, my friend, go become the nurse that God created only you to be, and I will see you over there in that next video.
