CBC Flashcards
Low hematocrit
Anemia,
may be making too few RBCs or losing them too quickly,
problem could be in the bone marrow or RBCs themselves
Low hemoglobin
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Low number of red blood cells
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Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) lower than normal
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Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCHC) lower than normal
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MCV higher than normal
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Reticulocyte count higher than normal
retic count should be high in anemia; or they’re just infants (lab doesn’t adjust)
Total leukocytes (WBCs) higher than normal
infection, stress response; ***
Total leukocytes (WBCs) lower than normal
leukemia/immunocompromise; ***
Eosinophil level higher than normal
allergic reaction (histamine), helminth infections, myeloid leukemia (bc myeloblasts are eosinophil progenitors)
Monocyte level higher than normal
monocytes are macrophage precursors; so if their level goes up could be infection; Chronic inflammatory disease; Leukemia
Parasitic infection; Tuberculosis; Viral infection (for example, infectious mononucleosis, mumps, measles)
Neutrophil level higher than normal
infection (early/emerging), leukemia; Acute stress, Eclampsia, Gout, Myelocytic leukemia, Rheumatoid arthritis, Rheumatic fever, Thyroiditis, Trauma
Neutrophil level lower than normal
chemo/radiation; Aplastic anemia, Influenza, Viral infection, Widespread severe bacterial infection
Platelet count lower than normal
thrombocytopenia; poor clotting = easily bleeding = hemorrhage, petechiae, spontaneous bleeding
Microcytic hypochromic anemia
Ferritin! Maybe lead too.
Macrocytic
Folic acid deficiency (poor nutrition, alcoholism, pregnancy) or Vitamin B12 deficiency (alcohol abuse, vegan diet, GI malabsorption eg Crohn’s, gastric surgery)
Normochromic, normocytic anemia
Blood loss or chronic disease;
next step = retic count
acute vs chronic leukemia
Acute = fast, aggressive, blasts are unusable Chronic = gets worse gradually, some of the cells are unusable
Relative aggressiveness of:
Follicular lymphoma
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
Burkitt lymphoma
Follicular = indolent
Diffuse large B-cell = aggressive
Burkitt = highly aggressive
Multiple Myeloma
- Higher incidence in African-Americans
- Bence-Jones Proteins
- M-spike
Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
- Bone marrow biopsy with 85% myeloblasts
- High blast count (also ALL)
- Auer rods
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)
- Philadelphia chromosome
- Exceedingly rare in children; median age at diagnosis 65
Acute Lymphoid Leukemia (ALL)
- Most common leukemia in children in US
- High blast count (also AML)
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
- Most common leukemia in adults in US
- Most common leukemia in Western hemisphere
Polycythemia Vera
Bone marrow makes too many RBCs
= THROMBOSIS (clotting)!
Treat with phlebotomy, dialysis
Eventually bone marrow will crap out, won’t be able to keep up = transform into AML and/or a myelodysplastic disorder.
