Diagnostics (Pre/Post Midterm) Flashcards
Red Blood Cell Count
VIHA: 4.5 - 5.9 X 1012/L
Total # of RBC.
40% of blood volume. Produced in bone marrow. Life span =120 days.
Carries O2 from oxygen to tissues/lungs.
Low (Anemia): blood loss, bone marrow, lukemia, nutrient defin, c. inflamation.
Symptoms: fatigue, pallor, dizziness.
High (Polycythemia): COPD, Altitude, Severe dehydration.
White Blood Cell Count
VIHA: 4 - 10.5
Body’s primary defense system.
Produced in bone marrow when there is an infection or inflammatory process. Life span = 13-20 days.
Destroyed in lymphatic system, excreted in feces.
Leukocytosis: Increase in # of WBC (during infection, inflammation, trauma)
Leukopenia: Decrease in # of WBC (increased risk of infection, viral infection, HIV/AIDS, Chemo
Symptoms: fever, exodus (usually related to area of infection)
WBC: Neutrophil
*VIHA: 2 - 6
Most abundant. Present in bacterial Infection.
First responder: hallmark of acute infection.
Highly Motile
WBC: Eosinophil
0.0 - 0.45
Make up 1 - 6 % of WBC
Combat paracites
Control mechanisms of allergy and asthma.
WBC: Basophils
VIHA: 0.0 - 0.10
Least common WBC: Make up 0.01 - 0.03%
Stores histamine
Parasitic Infections & some allergic disorders
WBC: Lymphocytes
VIHA: 1 - 4
2nd greatest in number. Include natural killer cells (NK cells), T-cells, B-cells.
Main type of cell found in lymph.
Primary in Viral infections
WBC: Monocytes
VIHA: 0.10 - 0.80
Largest of all WBC. 2% - 10% of WBC.
Present in severe infections (Phagocytosis)
HgB: Hemoglobin
*VIHA: 136 - 170 g/L
Iron containing protein found in RBCs. Enables bonding of O2.
Often used to check for anemia (not enough O2).
Hct: Hematocrit
*VIHA: 0.40 - 0.52
Measure of the porportion of blood that is made up of RCB. Tested in congunction with HgB and RBC
Polycythemia = High Hct (COPD, dehydration, high altitude).
Anemia = Low Hct(blood loss, lukemia, nut. Defin, chronic inflammation, inadequate RBC production).
Sodium: Na+
*VIHA: 135 - 145 mmol/L
Part of an electrolyte test.
Used to detect abnormal concentrations of Na+. Values do not vary quickly.
Hyponatremia: Low Na+ (CHF, decreased urinary excretion, no kidney reabsorption, diaretics, diarrhea/vomiting). Symptoms: nurologic & confusion.
Hypernatremia: High Na+ (dehydration, excessive sweathing, increase salt intake).
Potassium: K+
*VIHA: 3.5 - 50 mmol/L
An electrolyte vital to metabolism and muscle function.
Regulates fluid, stimulates muscle contraction, maintains stable acid-base balance. K+ plays a role in the firing of the heart muscle.
Hyperkalemia - High K+ (too much via intake, renal failure, potassium sparring diuretics).
Hypokalemia - Low K+ (not enough via intake, GI losses, non-sparring diuretics) Symptoms: Arrythmias.
Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)
VIHA: 3 - 7.5 mmol/L
Evaluation of kidney function, diagnose kidney disease, acute/chronic kidney function.
Urea is a waste product formed in the liver when protein is metabolized. Ordered when kidney problems are suspected.
BUN: Increase when kidneys cannot filter. S&S of disfunction: fatigue, lack of concentration, poor appetite, swelling/edema, hematuria, decrease in urinary output.
Creatinine
*VIHA: 60 - 100 mmol/L
Evaluated together with Urea. Creatinine is a waste product of muscle from the breakdown of creatine. Test is used to assess kidney function.
Levels are elevated in renal failure (kidney).
GFR: Glomerular Filtration Rate
*VIHA: > 60 ml/min
Used to screen and detect early kidney damage. Ordered to monitor those with known chronic kidney disease (CKD) or conditions like diabetes and hypertension.
Indicative of renal function. Also of dehydration.
PT-INR: Prothrombin Time
*VIHA: 0.9 - 1.1 seconds
Used to detect and diagnose bleeding disorders or excessive blotting disorders.
INR is calculated from a PT result to monitor the effectiveness of an anticoagulant. Measures the seconds it takes for a clot to form.
Warfarin: Expect PT-INR to be 2.0 - 3.5 times longer. If >3.5 = bleeding (gums, nose bleeds, stool, urine). Antidote = Vitamin K.
PTT: Partial Thromboplastin Time
*VIHA: 23 - 32 seconds
Used to evaluate coagulation factors.
Heparin = will increase the PTT time. Typically between 34 - 80 seconds.
Fecal Occult Blood Test: FBOT
VIHA: Negative
Blood in fecal matter should be negative.
Main use is as a screen for early colon cancer.
X-Ray
Diagnostic Imaging which is produced when electrons absorb some of a structures intensity as they pass though an object at the speed of light. Dense areas are white (Bone), and air filled areas are black. Bones, which are made of calcium and have a high atomic number absorbs x-rays efficiently. The lungs and trapped gas also show up clearly. Useful in the detection of skeletal system as some soft tisse. Particularily pneumona, lung cancer, pulmonary edema, bowel obstruction, gallstones, and kidney stones.
Ultrasound
An imaging technique that uses high frequency sound waves to acquire real time images. Useful for viewing abdominal contents, pelvis, muscles, pregnancies, vessels, the heart and other soft tissue structures.
Routine Urinalysis
A urine test which is performed to measure and test for a wide variety of substances and cells.
Microscopic Urinalysis
Can be ordered at the same time as a routine urinalysis, or perhaps as a follow-up if abnormal findings were present in the routine analysis. The microscopic analysis is looking at cells, crystals, bacteria, and counting them as an observed number which are measured as few +, moderate++, or many+++.
Procalcitonin
A test to evaluate the risk of an ill person developing a systemic bacterial infection, or sepsis.
Troponin (Inc. High Sensitivity)
There are different Troponin tests: I, T, and High Sensitivity
Troponin I and T are proteins found in heart muscle and are released into the blood when there is damage to the heart.
High Sensitivity Troponin tests detects the same protein that the standard test does, just at much lower rates. It may help detect heart injury and actue coronary syndrome earlier than the standard test.
Ordered when a person has a suspected heart attack.
ECG
Electrocardiogram. The ECG measures the electrical activity of the heart. It can also provide information on the areas of the heart that are damaged. Useful to help diagnose a myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, mumurs, dysrhythmias, and monitoring the effects of a heart medication.
Echocardiogram
An echocardiogram is a type of ultrasound test. There are many different types, but the Transthoracic Echocardiogram (TTE) is the standard one completed. It is a non-invasive, highly accurate and quick assessment of the overall health of the heart.
Angiogram
An angiogram is a test that allows x-ray visualization of the coronary arteries and vessels that suppy the blood to the heart. This occurs following the injection of a contrast medium that has been released into the coronary arteries from a catheter which has been inserted into a blood vessel.
Stress Test
Also known as a Stress Echocardiogram. It is an ultrasounds image of the heart to assess the heart wall motion in response to physical stress. First, an “at rest” image is taken, then the images of the heart are taken “at stress”. However, this test does not image the coronary arteries directly. Helps to detect cardiomyopathies,
Ischemia of one or more coronary arteries could cause wall motion abnormalities, potentially indicating coronary artery disease (CAD).
Ejection Fraction
Ejection fraction is the fraction of outbound blood pumped from the heart with each heartbeat. It is commonly measured by echocardiogram and demonstrated a measure of a person’s cardiac function.
Ejection fraction is an important determinant in systolic heart failure (ventricular). CAD, congenital heart disease, valvular heart disease. Unlike heart rate, which can be low or high in a healthy person, a low ejection fraction is always associated with disease.
Natriuretic Peptides
Natriuretic peptides refer to a peptide which induces natriuresis, which is the discharge of sodium through urine. They are particularly important in the control of blood pressure. There are two main peptides of particular importance for N232. Brain Natriuretic peptides, and Atrial natriuretic peptides.
Brain natriuretic peptides
BNP is an amino acid peptide secreted by the ventricle of the heart in response to excessive stretching of the heart muscle cells (Cardiomyocytes). The net effect of BNP is a decrease in blood pressure due to a decrease in systemic vascular resistance, and thus afterload. Also have a result in decreased cardiac output due to reduction in blood volume following natriuresis and diuresis.
Normal levels rules out acute heart failure in an emergency setting. Can be used for screening and prognosis of heart failure. Typically increased levels in patients with left ventricular dysfunction.
Atrial Natriuretic Peptide
ANP is a powerful vasodilator, and protein secreted by the heart muscle cells. It is released by muscle cells in the atria in response to high blood pressure. ANP acts to reduce water, sodium, and adipose loads on the circulatory system, reducing blood pressure
D-Dimer
D-dimer tests are used to help rule out the presence of an inappropriate blood clot (thrombus). Some of the conditions that the D-dimer test is used to help rule out include:
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
Pulmonary embolism (PE)
Stroke
It is a quick, non-invasive way to help rule out abnormal or excess clotting.
