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Common causes of hemolysis and hemolytic anemia in adults

Common causes of hemolysis and hemolytic anemia in adults
Non-immune causes
Hereditary
Enzyme deficiencies (eg, deficiencies of G6PD, pyruvate kinase, glucose-phosphate isomerase, 5' nucleotidase)
Hemoglobinopathies (eg, sickle cell disease, thalassemias, unstable hemoglobins)
Membrane defects (eg, hereditary spherocytosis, hereditary elliptocytosis, hereditary stomatocytosis)
Acquired
Liver disease
Hypersplenism
Infections (eg, Bartonella, Babesia, malaria, clostridial sepsis)
Oxidant agents (eg, dapsone, nitrites, aniline dyes)
Toxins (eg, lead, copper, snake and spider bites)
Infusion of a hypotonic solution
Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (eg, TTP, HUS, aortic stenosis, prosthetic valve leak) 
Immune causes
Warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia
Drug-induced immune hemolysis 
Transfusion reactions (eg, ABO incompatibility, alloantibodies)
Paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria
Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria
Cold agglutinin disease 
Intravenous infusion of IVIG or anti-RhD immune globulin
Non-immune causes generally have a negative Coombs test (also called direct antiglobulin test [DAT]); immune causes are typically DAT-positive. Refer to UpToDate for an approach to the evaluation. Any form of hemolytic anemia can lead to an underestimation of the hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C).
G6PD: glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase; TTP: thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura; HUS: hemolytic uremic syndrome; IVIG: intravenous immune globulin.
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