Pre-hepatic Jaundice Due to Haemolysis

CLINICAL DIAGNOSTIC MANUAL

Pre-hepatic jaundice due to haemolysis is characterised by the excessive destruction of red blood cells before their normal lifespan, leading to an overproduction of unconjugated bilirubin that the liver cannot adequately process.

This condition results in the accumulation of bilirubin in the blood, causing the yellowish discolouration of the skin and mucous membranes. Identifying the cause of haemolysis is crucial for appropriate treatment and the prevention of complications.

Pathology	Symptoms and Clinical Signs	Suspected Diagnosis	Confirmatory Diagnosis
Hereditary haemolytic anaemia	Fatigue, pallor, jaundice, splenomegaly, haemolytic crises	Family history, physical examination	Complete blood count, liver function tests, genetic studies
Acquired haemolytic anaemia	Fatigue, pallor, jaundice, splenomegaly, haemoglobinuria	Medical history, physical examination, signs of anaemia	Complete blood count, liver function tests, Coombs test
Haemolysis due to septicaemia	Fever, chills, hypotension, jaundice, tachycardia, dyspnoea	History of infection, physical examination	Blood cultures, liver function tests, complete blood count
Malaria	Periodic fever, chills, sweating, jaundice, splenomegaly, anaemia	History of travel to endemic areas, physical examination	Thick blood smear, rapid diagnostic test for malaria, complete blood count