Specialty Area: Hematology

Description of Specialty: Hematology is the area of medicine concerning diseases of the blood. See Oncology for other diseases of the blood.

1. Diagnosis: Anemia

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What is anemia?
  2. Is there more than one kind of anemia?
  3. What kind do I have?
  4. What is the significance of my kind of anemia?
  5. How did you discover that I am anemic?
  6. What can I do about it?
  7. Is it fatal?
  8. Does the anemia indicate anything else going on?
  9. Why do I have it?
  10. What did I do wrong to get it?
  11. Do I have to have additional tests to indicate the cause?
  12. Will they hurt?
  13. How is anemia treated?
  14. How is my kind if anemia treated?
  15. Will the treatment work?
  16. What if it doesn't work?
  17. Is anemia hereditary?
  18. Do I need to inform my children because they could develop anemia?
  19. How could they prevent it?
  20. Is there a condition where one can have "too much blood"?

    Robert Mendelsohn, MD
    Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Medicine-Retired
    Washington University School of Medicine
    St. Louis, MO                                                             
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