Disorders of the blood Flashcards
What are the main functions of the blood? (4 points)
- Ability to transport nutrients
- Ability to carry and remove waste
- Ability to transport host depences
- Ability to self repair
What makes up the blood? (5 points)
- Cell component
- Plasma proteins (albumin, globulin)
- Lipids
- Nutrients
- Water
Is it easy to make artificial blood?
No, as a lot of things make up normal blood and it is tricky to include all of these things into artificial blood
What does ‘FBC’ stand for?
- Full blood count
What does ‘CBC’ stand for (used in America)?
- Complete blood count
What does ‘RBC’ stand for?
- Red blood cells
What does ‘RCC’ stand for?
- Red cell count
What does ‘WCC’ stand for?
- White cell count
What does ‘PLT’ stand for?
- Platelets
What does ‘HCT’ stand for?
Haematocrit
What is haematocrit?
- What proportion of the blood volume is cells and what proportion is liquid
What does ‘MCV’ mean?
- Mean cell volume
What is anaemia?
- Low haemoglobin levels
- Can have loads of RBC’s with little Hb which causes anaemia or can have few RBC’s with loads of Hb so no anaemia
What is Leukopenia?
- Low White blood cell count
What is thrombocytopenia?
- Low platelets
What is Pancytopenia?
- All cells reduced (low in number)
- Will generally mean that bone marrow is not working as this is where the cells are produced
What happens if someone has 1 blood cell deficiency?
- Reactive change to the invironment
What has happened if someone has multiple blood cell deficiencies?
- Bone marrow failure
What is polycythaemia?
- Raised Hb (opposite to anaemia)
What is leucocytosis?
Raised White blood cell count
What is thrombocythemia?
Raised platelets
What happens if there is one blood cell that is being over produced?
Reactive or pre-neoplastic
What is it called when multiple blood cell levels are raised?
- Pre-neoplastic (myelodysplasia)
What is Leukaemia?
- Neoplastic proliferation of white cell
- usually disseminated (spread through the blood)
What is Lymphoma?
- Neoplastic proliferation of white cells
- BUT not in the circulation, usually a solid tumour
Blood transfusions can be given where one or more components of the blood have to be replaced quickly. Give examples of these components? (3 points)
- Red cells
- Platelets
- Clotting factors
Blood transfusions can be given where the bone marrow cannot produce blood cells. Give 2 examples of these blood cells?
- Red cells
- Platelets
What are the types of antigens in the blood (2 points)
ABO system
- A
- B
- O
- AB
D system (rhesus)
= + or -
What 2 things indicate that a blood transfusion is needed?
- Blood loss
- Specific production problems
(RBC, platelets, plasma proteins - clotting factors, albumin, gamma globulins)
Why in general should you AVOID giving a blood transfusion if at all possible?
- Because we don’t always know what else is in the blood
What is the 1 completely safe way of getting a blood transfusion?
- By giving yourself a blood transfusion
- If getting for example a hip replacement done - patient usually looses about 2 units of Hb - if the paitnet knew they were getting this operation on 8-12 weeks can take blood from the patient before this and it can be stored so when the patient has the operation you can take their blood and transfuse it back into them
What is the process of giving a blood transfusion?
- Sample taken from patient
- Tested against known blood types
- Tested against donated sample
- Matched blood given to patient
What is the first stage in the process of giving a blood transfusion?
Sample taken from the patient - need to find out about their blood
What is the second stage in the process of giving a blood transfusion? (3 points)
Tested against known blood types:
- Basic ABO compatibility
- Rhesus compatibility
- Does not always detect irregular antibodies
What is the third stage in the process of giving a blood transfusion?
- Blood from patient tested against donated sample
- If donated sample and patients sample when put together don’t do anything bad then it should be safe to give them the transfusion
What is the fourth stage in the process of giving a blood transfusion?
- Matched blood is given to the patient