Life Threatening Anemia (hemoglobin of 1.4g/dl) secondary to severe renal failure: management in a resource-constrained setting.

Abstract

Anemia is a common finding in patients with chronic kidney disease and its prevalence varies with the degree of renal dysfunction, with a higher prevalence as renal function worsens. It has been associated with increased morbidity, cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. We present a 33-year-old man who presented to the emergency department for the first time with bilateral leg swelling and shortness of breath and was found to have life-threatening anemia with hemoglobin of 1.4g/dl, metabolic acidosis, hyperkalemia and severe renal impairment (blood urea nitrogen of 401.4mg/dl and creatinine of 47.6mg/dl). He was admitted; had emergent hemodialysis with transfusion of packed red blood cells and was eventually discharged home to continue follow up on an outpatient basis.