Clin Path Flashcards
What is an inflammatory leukogram in a small animal patient?
(Neutrophilia with a left shift and toxic changes, sometimes might see monocytosis and lymphopenia)
What is an inflammatory leukogram in a large animal patient?
(Neutrophilia with a left shift and toxic changes, hyperfibrinogenemia, and sometimes see monocytosis)
What are the two differentials for lymphopenia?
(Acute inflammation and stress)
What are the three differentials for a mild normocytic, normochromic, non-regenerative anemia?
(Inflammation, pre-regen, or chronic dz)
What are the differentials for hypoalbuminemia?
(Hepatic failure (confirm with other blood work parameters), PLN (confirm with protein in urine), PLE (typically will see overall decrease in TP unless paired with enteritis), and inflammation)
What are the differentials for hyperglobulinemia?
(Dehydration, inflammation, and neoplasia)
How can you go about supporting a diagnosis of prerenal vs. renal vs. post-renal azotemia?
(Prerenal: should be paired with signs of dehydration + ruling out renal and post-renal, renal: should be paired with an isosthenuric USG, post-renal: should be paired with a PE that supports lower urinary dz and electrolyte abnormalities (low Na, low Cl, and high P))
What impact will hypoalbuminemia have on the anion gap and TCO2?
(If severe enough will decrease the anion gap and TCO2 will increase to compensate)
You are presented with a foal with a low MCV on their CBC, how can you further evaluate that CBC to determine if the foal has iron deficiency or not?
(Look at MCHC (hemoglobin/iron per volume of RBC), if its normal the foal has plenty of iron)
How will bilirubin be impacted on a chem in a fasted/anorexic horse?
(There will be hyperbilirubinemia specifically indirect bilirubin will be elevated)
Describe a stress leukogram.
(Leukocytosis (specifically mature neutrophilia), mild monocytosis, lymphopenia, and eosinopenia)
What are the two possible differentials for non-worrisome (aka no other signs of diabetes or sepsis) hyperglycemia?
(Stress or excitement/epinephrine)
What are your differentials for a titrational metabolic acidosis?
(Ketones, lactate, uremic acids, and ethylene glycol)
If a patient has hypercalcemia, what other values would you look at to indicate Addison’s dz?
(Sodium (low), chloride (low), and potassium (high))
If a patient has hypercalcemia, what other values would you look at to indicate vitamin D toxicosis?
(Phosphorus (elevated))
What test can be used to differentiate a neoplastic vs. idiopathic cause of hypercalcemia?
(Malignancy profile which measures PTHrP, if elevated = neoplasia)
What things can cause eosinophilia?
(Worms, wheezes, and weird diseases)
What neoplasms can induce eosinophilia?
(Lymphoma and MCT)
What would move mild normocytic, normochromic nonregenerative anemia caused by renal failure higher on your differential list?
(If it is paired with severe azotemia, typically do not see anemia until it is end stage kidney disease)
Why should you look at the blood smear when there is thrombocytopenia?
(To check for clumped platelets)
What is the singular differential for hyperalbuminemia?
(Dehydration)
What are the two differentials for a marked anemia paired with a mild, inadequate reticulocytosis?
(1) bone marrow is not forming retics appropriately, 2) acute on chronic anemia)
What are differentials for acanthocytes?
(Liver disease and erythrocyte fragmentation)
What are differentials for keratocytes?
(Iron deficiency, liver disease, myelodysplastic syndrome, erythrocyte fragmentation)
There are lots of differentials for schistocytes (severe iron deficiency, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, heart failure, etc.) but they all cause what in particular?
(Erythrocyte fragmentation)
Which of the following values are used for evaluating hepatocellular injury?
- AST
- ALP
- Bilirubin
- Cholesterol
- Bile Acids
- ALT
- Albumin
- Glucose
- ALP
- SDH
- GGT
- Coag factors
- BUN
(AST, ALT, and SDH)
Which of the following values are used for evaluating a patient for cholestasis?
- AST
- ALP
- Bilirubin
- Cholesterol
- Bile Acids
- ALT
- Albumin
- Glucose
- ALP
- SDH
- GGT
- Coag factors
- BUN
(ALP, GGT, Cholesterol, bilirubin, and bile acids)
Which of the following values are used for evaluating liver function?
- AST
- ALP
- Bilirubin
- Cholesterol
- Bile Acids
- ALT
- Albumin
- Glucose
- ALP
- SDH
- GGT
- Coag factors
- BUN
(Glucose, BUN, albumin, cholesterol, and coag factors)
How do glucocorticoids and phenobarbital (and other drugs associated with increased liver enzymes) induce increased liver enzymes?
(By triggered normal, uninjured hepatic cells to increase production of enzymes)
Prehepatic causes (such as hemolysis, or fasting/anorexic in large animal species) for hyperbilirubinemia will increase unconjugated/conjugated (choose) bilirubin.
(Unconjugated)
Hepatic causes (markedly reduced functional mass) for hyperbilirubinemia will increase unconjugated/conjugated (choose) bilirubin.
(Unconjugated)
Post hepatic causes (biliary obstruction, sepsis causing functional cholestasis) for hyperbilirubinemia will increase unconjugated/conjugated (choose) bilirubin.
(Conjugated)
In cases of cholestasis, cholesterol will be increased/decreased/normal (choose) and triglycerides will be increased/decreased/normal (choose).
(Cholesterol is increased or normal, triglycerides are normal)
What can cause hyponatremia, hypokalemia, and hypochloremia to all occur in one patient?
(GI or third space loss)
What is the most common explanation for a hypochloremic metabolic alkalosis?
(Vomiting)
(T/F) If you have a patient with a cholestasis liver enzyme pattern and both hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia, both of those findings can be explained by the cholestasis.
(F, cholestasis does not increased triglycerides, so this would more likely be explain by other causes of hyperlipidemia (hypothyroid, DM, cushings, acute pancreatitis, or postprandial))
(T/F) Leptospirosis most typically causes a cholestatic liver enzyme pattern.
(T, but can do whatever as well so just be careful)
Why does cholesterol tend to rise before bilirubin does in cases of cholestasis?
(Bc the kidneys are particularly good at filtering out bilirubin so cholesterol will go up first and will be followed by bilirubin once there is enough to overwhelm the kidneys)
What are the possible explanations for hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis?
(Secretional (diarrhea) or renal tubular (toxic, drug, infectious, or congenital causes) acidosis)
(T/F) Any amount of acanthocytes and keratocytes in the blood of a goat (or cow, or pig) are normal.
(F, only normal in low numbers)
What is the purpose of PARR?
(PARR is used to determine whether a population of lymphocytes is neoplastic or not; typically monoclonal = neoplasia, polyclonal = inflammation)
What are some infectious agents that can cause a monoclonal response that looks a lot like lymphoma (so they need to be ruled out)?
(Ehrlichia and Leishmania)
What is the purpose of flow cytometry?
(Flow cytometry is used to provide more information (determine cell lineage) when neoplasia is suspected cytologically; can distinguish between myeloid vs lymphoid leukemia, also allows for phenotyping lymphoma which is a useful prognostic indicator)
For the following scenarios, would you request PARR or flow cytometry:
- Cytology shows a population of lymphocytes which are suspicious for but not conclusive for neoplasia
- Cytology shows lymphoid neoplasia
- Cytology shows lymphoid neoplasia or leukemia of uncertain etiology
- Cytology shows a population of lymphocytes which are suspicious for but not conclusive for neoplasia (PARR)
- Cytology shows lymphoid neoplasia (Flow cytometry for phenotyping/prognosis)
- Cytology shows lymphoid neoplasia or leukemia of uncertain etiology (Flow cytometry to determine cell of origin)