title: Pathophysiology of intensive care unit-acquired anemia.
abstract: The formation of red blood cells (RBCs) in the bone marrow is regulated by erythropoietin in response to a cascade of events. Anemia in the intensive care unit can be caused by a host of factors. Patients in the intensive care unit may have decreased RBC production and a blunted response to erythropoietin. Administration of recombinant human erythropoietin may stimulate erythropoiesis, increase hematocrit levels and hemoglobin concentration, and reduce the need for RBC transfusions.
authors.affiliation: Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. finkmp@ccm.upmc.edu
authors.forename: Mitchell P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Fink
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000379:methods*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D015897:Comorbidity; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D015672:Erythroid Precursor Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000378:metabolism; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D004921:Erythropoietin