A 27-year-old woman of Greek background attends for pre-pregnancy advice. She feels well. A full blood count taken by her previous doctor shows: haemoglobin 108 g/L (115–165), mean cell volume 63 fL (80–100), red cell count 5.9 × 10¹²/L (3.8–5.8), red cell distribution width 12.5% (11.5–14.5), ferritin 88 µg/L (30–300). Haemoglobin electrophoresis shows haemoglobin A₂ 5.4% (2.0–3.3) and haemoglobin F 1.5%. Her partner is of Lebanese background and has never had a blood test.
Which one of the following is the most appropriate next step?
Keep going — a set of ten like this one, one at a time.
Practise moreMore from Haematology and Oncology
See allA 54-year-old woman receiving adjuvant docetaxel and cyclophosphamide for breast cancer presents nine days after her second cycle with a temperature of 38.4 °C,…
Pre-internship · common
A 67-year-old man with prostate cancer on androgen deprivation therapy presents with two weeks of mid-back pain that is worse lying flat and wakes him at night.…
Pre-internship · common
A 66-year-old woman is on day 8 after an elective total hip replacement and has been receiving subcutaneous enoxaparin 40 mg daily since surgery. Her platelet c…
Pre-internship · niche
A 29-year-old woman presents with headache, confusion and reduced urine output. She is pale and has scattered petechiae; investigations show haemoglobin 78 g/L…
Clinical rotations · middle twist
A 7-year-old boy has complained of pain in both thighs and an intermittent limp for one month. He is pale but afebrile, and there is no joint swelling; both hip…
Clinical rotations · common