Case 1: CBC/HPD Lab Values Flashcards
HPD
Heme Profile with Differential
% of total blood volume made up by RBCs
hematocrit
Why does pregnancy usually cause slightly decreased values of Hct?
because of chronic hemodilution
When RBCs contain normal amounts of Hgb and are of normal size, the Hct % is usually ___ times the Hgb concentration.
3 times
Hgb determines the ____-carrying capacity of blood and also acts as an important ____-_____ _____ system
oxygen; acid-base buffer system
Dehydration causes artificially ______ values in a CBC.
high
What can cause high Hgb and Hct?
Erythrocytosis (due to physiological response to illness or high altitude)
Which two RBC indices give info about RBC size?
MCV and RDW (RBC Distribution Width)
The ____ _______ _____ is an indication of variation in RBC size.
RBC Distribution Width
RDW is an essential indicator of the degree of __________, or variability RBC size
anisocytosis
RBCs are of unequal size
anisocytosis
The _____ is the measure of the average amount of Hgb within an RBC.
MCH
The MCH value adds very little information to what we learn from a ____ concentration value.
Hgb
The MCHC is the (___ x 100) divided by ___.
Hgb; Hct
The MCHC tells us the average concentration of _____ per ____.
hemoglobin; RBC
If the MCHC is decreased, RBCs are __________.
hypochromic (low Hgb)
Hypochromicity is associated with _______ deficiency, _________, and anemia of _____ ______.
Iron deficiency, thalassemia, and anemia of chronic illness.
Two most common causes of macrocytic anemia (high MCV).
Low B12 or low folic acid
Anemia caused by low B12
pernicious anemia
_____ patients commonly fail to respond to severe bacterial infection with leukocytosis (increased WBC count).
Elderly
The CBC differential measures what?
The percentages of each type of each type of leukocyte present in a specimen.
What do increased WBCs generally indicate?
Infection, inflammation, tissue necrosis, or leukemic neoplasia. (Trauma or stress can also cause elevated WBCs)
Decreased WBC count is caused by?
Some type of bone marrow failure (caused by chemotherapy, radiation, marrow infiltrative diseases, overwhelming infection, dietary deficiency, autoimmune diseases)
Primary function of neutrophils
Killing and digesting bacterial organisms
Neutrophils are produced in ____ days and exist in circulation for only ___ hours.
7 to 14 days; 6 hours
Increased bands in a CBC is called a ____ ____, and it is indicative of __________ infection.
a left shift; bacterial
True of false: Basophils and eosinophils respond to viral and bacterial infections.
False
_____ and ______ WBCs respond to allergic reactions.
Basophils and eosinophils
The cytoplasm of basophil cells contains ____, _____, and _____.
Heparin, histamine, and serotonin
Which WBC is the primary responder to parasitic infections?
eosinophils
_________ primarily function to fight chronic bacterial infection and acute viral infections.
Lymphocytes (T and T cells)
What two types of WBCs would you expect to see elevated in chronic inflammatory disorders?
Neutrophils and monocytes
What type of anemia is typically associated with anisocytosis?
iron deficient anemia
Formula for absolute neutrophil count
ANC = WBC x (%neutrophils + % bands) x 10
ANC less than ____ is considered mild neutropenia, a count of less than ____ is considered moderate neutropenia, and an ANC less than ____ is considered severe neutropenia.
1500; 1000; 500
If a patient’s ANC is less than ____, the patient should be placed under neutropenic precautions.
1000
What does MPV tell you?
Average size of platelets (mean platelet volume)
What would a low platelet count and a high MPV suggest?
That bone marrow is rapidly producing platelets (newer platelets are bigger).
What would a low platelet count and a low MPV suggest?
That bone marrow isn’t producing enough platelets to replenish supply being used up (small platelets–i.e., a low mean platelet volume– are older).
What does RDW tell us?
The amount of variation in volume and size of RBCs
What conditions are associated with high RDW and high MCV?
Macrocytic anemias due to nutrient deficiencies (iron, folate, or B-12).
Can microcytic anemia have a high RDW?
Yes (will often see a low MCV and a high RDW in macrocytic anemia, such as iron deficiency anemia).
