Dr. Goswami Parth Rajendragiri
Pathology
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Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
Is it possible for a person to die because of severe microcytic hypochromic anemia? My dad suddenly fell from his bike while self-driving. He went into an unconscious stage, and later we took him to a hospital due to head injuries. The doctor told me not to worry, as a small blood clot had occurred in my dad's brain and it would disappear with medication. He asked me to get a complete blood test done, and the results showed a hemoglobin level of 4 percent. He advised me that four packets of blood were needed, so we arranged for that and gave blood to my dad. After five days, the doctor told me that we could go home and wrote a discharge letter. As we came out of the room, my dad was walking slowly for some distance when suddenly he felt uneasy. We took him to bed, but he was uncontrollable. The oxygen supply started, and after a few minutes, he passed away. Can you tell me the reason for my dad's death? I am completely disturbed now.
Kindly help.
Hello,
Thanks for trusting us with your health care.
I can understand your concern. Sorry to hear about the death of your father. When he was injured in the accident, some form of brain hemorrhage might have occurred, leading to the presence of a blood clot. To determine the extent of involvement, a CT (computed tomography) scan should have been done at that time. Your doctor was on the right path with the treatment. For microcytic hypochromic severe anemia, hemoglobin levels less than 4, a blood transfusion is needed, and he received it to increase the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. For brain injury, if the patient needs a pressure-reducing diuretic drug like Mannitol, it might be prescribed, but only if cerebral edema and raised intracranial pressure are present. Your father received the transfusion, so death from microcytic hypochromic anemia seems less likely.
The cause of death, in this case, is likely from secondary neurological caused due to brain injury. Increased intracranial pressure, brain edema, secondary infection, and massive hemorrhage are some possible causes. It is difficult to identify the exact cause without examination and post-mortem analysis. Therefore, if the cause of death needs to be identified, a post-mortem examination can be conducted. Regarding treatment, correcting anemia and symptomatic management of brain injury are the primary modes of treatment. Surgical management by a neurosurgeon may be necessary only if the hemorrhage or clot is massive and as indicated by the CT report.
Hope I have clarified your query.
Thank you.
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Pathology
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