CBC

Question 1

Low hematocrit

Answer 1

Anemia,
may be making too few RBCs or losing them too quickly,
problem could be in the bone marrow or RBCs themselves

Question 2

Low hemoglobin

Answer 2

-

Question 3

Low number of red blood cells

Answer 3

-

Question 4

Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) lower than normal

Answer 4

-

Question 5

Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCHC) lower than normal

Answer 5

-

Question 6

MCV higher than normal

Answer 6

-

Question 7

Reticulocyte count higher than normal

Answer 7

retic count should be high in anemia; or they’re just infants (lab doesn’t adjust)

Question 8

Total leukocytes (WBCs) higher than normal

Answer 8

infection, stress response; ***

Question 9

Total leukocytes (WBCs) lower than normal

Answer 9

leukemia/immunocompromise; ***

Question 10

Eosinophil level higher than normal

Answer 10

allergic reaction (histamine), helminth infections, myeloid leukemia (bc myeloblasts are eosinophil progenitors)

Question 11

Monocyte level higher than normal

Answer 11

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)

Question 12

Neutrophil level higher than normal

Answer 12

infection (early/emerging), leukemia; Acute stress, Eclampsia, Gout, Myelocytic leukemia, Rheumatoid arthritis, Rheumatic fever, Thyroiditis, Trauma

Question 13

Neutrophil level lower than normal

Answer 13

chemo/radiation; Aplastic anemia, Influenza, Viral infection, Widespread severe bacterial infection

Question 14

Platelet count lower than normal

Answer 14

thrombocytopenia; poor clotting = easily bleeding = hemorrhage, petechiae, spontaneous bleeding

Question 15

Microcytic hypochromic anemia

Answer 15

Ferritin! Maybe lead too.

Question 16

Macrocytic

Answer 16

Folic acid deficiency (poor nutrition, alcoholism, pregnancy) or Vitamin B12 deficiency (alcohol abuse, vegan diet, GI malabsorption eg Crohn’s, gastric surgery)

Question 17

Normochromic, normocytic anemia

Answer 17

Blood loss or chronic disease;

next step = retic count

Question 18

acute vs chronic leukemia

Answer 18

Acute = fast, aggressive, blasts are unusable
Chronic = gets worse gradually, some of the cells are unusable

Question 19

Relative aggressiveness of:
Follicular lymphoma
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
Burkitt lymphoma

Answer 19

Follicular = indolent
Diffuse large B-cell = aggressive
Burkitt = highly aggressive

Question 20

Multiple Myeloma

Answer 20

• Higher incidence in African-Americans
• Bence-Jones Proteins
• M-spike

Question 21

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)

Answer 21

• Bone marrow biopsy with 85% myeloblasts
• High blast count (also ALL)
• Auer rods

Question 22

Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)

Answer 22

• Philadelphia chromosome

- Exceedingly rare in children; median age at diagnosis 65

Question 23

Acute Lymphoid Leukemia (ALL)

Answer 23

• Most common leukemia in children in US

- High blast count (also AML)

Question 24

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)

Answer 24

• Most common leukemia in adults in US

- Most common leukemia in Western hemisphere

Question 25

Polycythemia Vera

Answer 25

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.