FBC Flashcards
What is PCV?
Packed cell volume
Volume percentage of red blood cells in the blood
What is MCH?
Mean corpuscular haemoglobin
Mean haemoglobin quantity within the blood cells
What is “Hb”?
Haemoglobin
Conc of haemogobin within the blood
What is reticulocyte count?
Conc of immature red blood cells
increases in blood loss and haemolytic anaemia
Define anaemia
A reduced concentration of haemoglobin within the blood
Causes of microcytic anaemia
SIT
Sideroblastic
Iron deficiency
Thalassaemia
Causes of normocytic anaemia
Acute blood loss Haemolytic anaemia Sickle cell
Causes of macrocytic anaemia
Megaloblastic: -↓B12 -↓folate Non-megaloblastic: - Alcohol - Reticulocytosis - Liver disease - Pregnancy
Meaning of polycythaemia
increased concentration of red blood cells within the blood
Causes of polycythaemia?
Relative polycythaemia (i.e. ↓plasma volume): o Acute dehydration o Chronic (associated with obesity, hypertension, alcohol excess, smoking)
Absolute polycythaemia (i.e. ↑RBC mass): o Primary = polycythaemia ruba vera o Secondary = due to increased EPO (e.g. RCC) or chronic hypoxia (e.g. COPD, altitude, congenital cyanotic heart disease)
Thrombocytopenia meaning?
Decrease in platelet count
Causes of Thrombocytopenia
Decreased production ( bone marrow failure, aplastic anaemia, megaloblastic anaemia, myelosuppression)
Increased destruction / consumption (immune or non-immune e.g. DIC
Meaning Thrombocythemia?
Increased in platelet count, either primary or secondary (bleeding, inflammation, inf, maligancy
Why do TFT in anaemia?
Hypothyroidism can cause macrocytic anaemia
Sepsis Six
High flow oxygen Take blood cultures Give IV fluids Broad spectrum IV antibiotics Check serial lactates Measure urine output
What is sepsis?
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body’s response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs.
Septicaemia is infection of the bloodstream. Sepsis is a complication of septicaemia leading to widespread body inflammation
Common signs and symptoms include fever, increased heart rate, increased breathing rate, and confusion.
What is serial lactate?
Marker for hypoxia in the blood (due to anaerobic respiration leading to lactic acid levels rising)
Predictor of multi-organ failure due to septic shock
What is aplastic anaemia?
Aplastic anemia is a rare disease in which the bone marrow and the hematopoietic stem cells that reside there are damaged. This causes a deficiency of all three blood cell types (pancytopenia): red blood cells (anemia), white blood cells (leukopenia), and platelets (thrombocytopenia).
Deficiency of all three blood cell types (pancytopenia): red blood cells (______), white blood cells (_________), and platelets (__________).
Deficiency of all three blood cell types (pancytopenia): red blood cells (anemia), white blood cells (leukopenia), and platelets (thrombocytopenia).
