YEAR 05 • ADVANCED CLINICAL

Paediatrics

20 learning units • 100 chapter sections • 200 explained questions. Assess children from birth through adolescence, recognise urgent illness and plan safe treatment, prevention and family-centred follow-up.

Original RAHBAR study material for the Year 5 learning pathway. Clinical cases support supervised undergraduate learning. Treatment choices, doses and procedures must follow current local protocols and the responsible clinical team. References & further reading ↓

MODULE 14 / 20

Anaemia, Bleeding & Childhood Cancer Clues

Use blood findings in context and recognise presentations requiring urgent haematology review.

Quick revision ↓ Medical Dictionary

01Assess anaemia

Ask about diet, fatigue, pallor, bleeding, infections and family history. Interpret haemoglobin and red-cell indices using age-appropriate ranges. Iron deficiency is common but not the only cause; haemolysis, chronic inflammation and inherited disorders may require different investigations and treatment.

02Iron deficiency

Review dietary intake and possible blood loss or malabsorption. Prescribe treatment using the current paediatric formulary and arrange response monitoring. A failure to improve should trigger review of adherence, diagnosis and ongoing losses rather than indefinite repetition of the same plan.

03Haemoglobin disorders

Thalassaemia and sickle-cell disease require specialist diagnosis and longitudinal care. Transfusion needs and complications differ between conditions. Fever in a child with sickle-cell disease needs urgent assessment because serious infection can develop rapidly; pain episodes also require timely individual management.

04Bruising and bleeding

Assess the distribution, explanation and severity of bruising alongside platelet and coagulation findings when indicated. Consider bleeding disorders, infection and safeguarding concerns without assuming one cause. Mucosal bleeding or systemic illness changes urgency, and unexplained bruising in a non-mobile infant needs particular attention.

05Malignancy warning signs

Persistent pallor, unexplained bruising, bone pain, lymphadenopathy or hepatosplenomegaly may warrant blood tests and urgent review. These findings are not diagnostic alone, but persistent combinations should not be dismissed. Communicate uncertainty clearly and ensure timely review of results and referrals.

High-Yield Revision

Use age-appropriate blood-count interpretation.
Persistent symptom combinations need reassessment.
Fever in sickle-cell disease is urgent.

Common Pitfalls

Assuming every anaemia is iron deficiency.
Ignoring unexplained bruising in a non-mobile infant.

References & Further Reading

Read the relevant guideline sections alongside these original clinical teaching cases. Local pathways, available services and individual patient factors determine care.

Reference review: 28 September 2026. Consult current local protocols for prescribing, procedures and escalation.