Blood analysis

Question 1

What kind of blood do you use for hematology?

Answer 1

Whole blood

Question 2

What kind of blood do you use for biochemistry?

Answer 2

Serum or plasma

Question 3

Hematology can include what tests

Answer 3

-Total blood cell count (WBC, RBC, PLT)
-Erythrocyte indices (MCV, MCHC, MCH, RDW)
-Blood types
-Blood smears (microscopy)
-Blood parasites

Question 4

Biochemistry can include what tests

Answer 4

Evaluation of the function and damage of different organ systems

-Kidney function (CREA, UREA, SDMA)
-Hepatobiliary system (AST, ALT, ALP, GGT, TBIL)
-Electrolytes (Na, Cl, K, Ca, Phos, Mg, HBO3)
-Proteins (TP, ALB, GLOB)
-Glucose

Question 5

Dog erythrocytes, morphology and life-span

Answer 5

Bigger size, uniform, biconcave discs
Lifespan 110-120 days

Question 6

Cat erythrocytes, morphology and life-span

Answer 6

Smaller than dogs, size can vary, less biconcave
Life-span 65-76 days

Question 7

Normal hematocrit in dogs

Answer 7

37-57%

Question 8

Normal hematocrit in cats

Answer 8

27-47%

Question 9

Causes for non-regenerative anemia

Answer 9

Chronic diseases (CKD, inflammation, infections)
Iron-deficiency anemia
Primary bone marrow disease

Question 10

Macrocytic hypochromic anemia would indicate

Answer 10

Regenerative anemia

Question 11

Normocytic normochromic anemia would indicate

Answer 11

Non-regenerative anemia

Question 12

Microcytic hypochromic anemia would indicate

Answer 12

Non-regenerative iron-deficiency anemia

Question 13

What is stress leukogram?

Answer 13

Caused by endogenous or exogenous corticosteroids
Mature neutrophilia, lymphopenia, eosinopenia, monocytosis

Question 14

What is physiological leukogram?

Answer 14

Caused by epinephrin, norepinephrine - flight or fight -response
Slight neutrophilia, lymphocytosis, (eosinophilia, basophilia)

Question 15

What is inflammatory leukogram?

Answer 15

Local inflammation might not show

Neutrophilia with left shift (+toxic changes)
Monocytosis (chronic inflammation)

Lymphopenia in acute inflammation
Lymphocytosis in chronic inflammation

(Eosinopenia)

Question 16

Breed that has thrombocytopenia in a normal condition?

Answer 16

Greyhounds

Question 17

Three pathological reasons for thrombocytopenia

Answer 17

Decrease in production (e.g. FeLV, myelotoxic drugs, bone marrow diseases)

Increased destruction (e.g. infections, immune-mediated thrombocytopenia)

Increased loss/consumption (e.g. acute hemorrhage, vasculitis, DIC)

Can also be artefact (clumping)

Question 18

Difference between plasma and serum

Answer 18

Serum is plasma without coagulation factors
Depends if anti-coagulants are added to the tube (heparin, sodium citrate)

Question 19

Creatinine (CREA)

Answer 19

End product of muscle metabolism
Kidney specific, evaluates GFR

Elevated - azotemia
Decreased - loss of muscle mass, young growing animals

Question 20

Azotemia causes

Answer 20

Pre-renal - dehydration

Renal - acute/chronic kidney injury (75% of tissue damaged)

Post-renal - Urethral obstruction

Question 21

Urea

Answer 21

End product of protein metabolism
Not kidney specific

Elevated - azotemia, GI-bleeding, increased protein consumption

Decreased - decreased production (liver failure, portosystemic shuts)

Question 22

SDMA

Answer 22

symmetrical dimethylarginine

Kidney specific, more sensitive than creatinine
40% of kidney tissue damaged

Question 23

ALT

Answer 23

Alanine aminotransferase

Liver specific
BUT is also present in muscles, erythrocytes, kidneys

Elevation - hepatocyte damage, muscle damage, hemolysis

Question 24

AST

Answer 24

Aspartate aminotransferase

Not liver specific
Mostly in skeletal muscles, then liver and erythrocytes

Elevation - hepatocyte damage, muscle damage, hemolysis

Question 25

ALP

Answer 25

Alkaline phosphatase

Liver and biliary tract specific
Found in a lot of tissues, bones

Elevation - liver and biliary diseases, biliary tract obstruction, bone growth

Question 26

GGT

Answer 26

Gammaglutamyl transferase

Epithelial cells in the bile ducts, liver

Elevation - bile duct inflammation, obstruction, necrosis

Question 27

TBIL

Answer 27

Bilirubin

End-product of hemolysis, heme metabolism
Excreted by bile ducts

Elevated –> icterus
Pre-hepatic - hemolysis
Hepatic - liver damage
Post hepatic - bile duct obstruction, cholestasis

Question 28

Causes for hypoalbunimenia

Answer 28

Decreased intake - anorexia

Increased loss - protein losing enteropathy/nephropathy, blood loss

Decreased production - liver failure

Question 29

Causes for hyperalbuminemia

Answer 29

Dehydration, liver neoplasia

Question 30

Causes for hypoglobulinemia

Answer 30

Blood loss, immune deficiency

Question 31

Causes for hyperglobulinemia

Answer 31

Inflammation, neoplasia, immune mediated diseases

Question 32

Causes for hyperglycemia

Answer 32

Physiological - stress, pregnancy

Iatrogenic - drugs, IV glucose

Resestance to/lack of insulin - diabetes mellitus, hyperadrenocorticism, acute pancreatitis, acromegalia

Question 33

Causes for hypoglycemia

Answer 33

Iatrogenic - insulin therapy

Decreased production - liver failure, juvenile hypoglycemia

Decreased intake - anorexia

Increased consumption - insulinoma, xylitol toxicosis, sepsis

Question 34

Main mechanisms of change in electrolytes (4)

Answer 34

1. Changes in free water - dehydration, polyuria, polydipsia (Na, Cl)
2. Reduced intake (K)
3. Translocation - movement from intracellular space to extracellular space (K)
4. Increased loss - gastrointestinal tract (diarrhea, hypersalivation), kidneys (kidney failure)