Hematology

Question 1

presence of reticulocytes hint that what is working?

Answer 1

bone marrow (pumping out immature RBCs)

Question 2

if you have an increase in reticulocytes what does that indicate?

Answer 2

bone marrow is trying to compensate, either due to hemorrhaging or RBC destruction

Question 3

how can you differentiate between hemorrhage and RBC destruction indicated by an increase in reticulocytes?

Answer 3

look at total protein, if high > RBC destruction

Question 4

a patients reticulocyte count is high and their total protein is low. what does this indicate?

Answer 4

hemorrhage, losing protein as well

Question 5

what are the three main causes of anemia?

Answer 5

• lack of RBC production
• hemorrhage
• RBC destruction

Question 6

T/F: mammals lose nuclei from RBC before circulation, therefore regenerative anemia may put out nucleated RBCs

Answer 6

TRUE

Question 7

T/F: an increase in blood cortisol levels (STRESS) is the most common cause for lymphocytosis

Answer 7

FALSE, lymphopenia

Question 8

a 10 year old cat comes in and their leukogram is only showing lymphopenia. what is the likely cause?

Answer 8

STRESS!

Question 9

what type of stain will show you heinz bodies on a blood film?

Answer 9

wright’s stain

Question 10

what type of stain will show you reticulocytes on a blood film?

Answer 10

brilliant cresyl blue

Question 11

what are heinz bodies and what do they cause?

Answer 11

=bits of denatured Hb which in turn causes RBC destruction due to increased susceptibility of phagocytosis by macrophages (change in antigenicity), therefore become increasingly anemic, also hepatotoxic

Question 12

a marked increase in glucose is suggestive of what?

Answer 12

diabetes

Question 13

what two values in blood work would you look at to indicate kidney issues?

Answer 13

BUN (blood urea nitrogen) and Creat

Question 14

an increase in albumin is caused by what?

Answer 14

dehydration

Question 15

what are the main three causes for an increase in bilirubin?

Answer 15

• increase RBC destruction
• biliary obstruction
• liver destruction

Question 16

low T CO2 suggests what?

Answer 16

=bicarbonate, metabolic acidosis (increased ketones), test urine

Question 17

T/F: Na decreases when glucose increases

Answer 17

TRUE

Question 18

what are three ways to measure RBC mass?

Answer 18

• PCV
• hemoglobin
• red cell count

Question 19

T/F: MCV =avg size of RBC

Answer 19

TRUE

Question 20

what type of anemia causes a decrease in reticulocyte MCV (left shift)?

Answer 20

iron deficiency anemia (chronically losing blood > not making enough RBCs > extra-divide for heme complex)

Question 21

mammals have platelets, while all others have …

Answer 21

thrombocytes

Question 22

what does mean corpuscular hemoglobin [ ] tell you?

Answer 22

gives you the avg amount of Hb in RBCs

Question 23

how do you calculate % to absolute?

Answer 23

% (i.e. segs or reticulocytes) x total count (i.e. Tncc or RBC count)

Question 24

a marked increase in reticulocytes indicates what type of anemia?

Answer 24

regenerative anemia (bone marrow still pumping out)

Question 25

fluffy the cocker spaniel has normal protein levels, marked anemia, an increased MCV, lymphocytosis, and spherocytes. what does this indicate?

Answer 25

IMHA

Question 26

what is the most common cause of mild non-regenerative anemia?

Answer 26

anemia inflammatory disease

Question 27

MCV = normacytic
reticulocytes = 0
lymphocytosis
PCV = normal

what type of anemia is this?

Answer 27

normacytic non-regenerative anemia

Question 28

PCV =

Answer 28

% of whole blood composed of erythrocytes

Question 29

what is the difference between PCV and Hct?

Answer 29

SAME THING, Hct is calculated by instrument

Question 30

what is the buffy coat composed of?

Answer 30

leukocytes, nucleated erythrocytes, platelets

Question 31

yellow plasma is indicative of what?

Answer 31

icterus (increased bilirubin [ ] in blood)

Question 32

white, opaque plasma is indicative of what?

Answer 32

lipemia (chylomicrons), may be due to postprandial collection or diseases associated w/ abnormalities in lipid metabolism

Question 33

red plasma is indicative of what?

Answer 33

hemolysis (presence of hemoglobin in plasma)

Question 34

hemolysis in-vitro is due to what?

Answer 34

• technique

- lipemia

Question 35

hemolysis in-vivo is due to what?

Answer 35

-hemolytic anemia (intravascular hemolysis)

Question 36

you have hemolysis AND a normal PCV…what is the most likely cause?

Answer 36

in-vitro (technique or lipemia)

Question 37

a spectrophotometer is used to measure what?

Answer 37

hemoglobin [ ], usually 1/3 of PCV

Question 38

how do you calculate Hct (PCV)?

Answer 38

(MCV x RBC)/10

Question 39

how do you calculate MCV?

Answer 39

PCV/RBC x 10

Question 40

MCHC=

Answer 40

mean cell hemoglobin [ ] (camelids have higher ref value b/c more Hb in their oval RBCs)

Question 41

T/F: an increase in MCHC is ALWAYS artifactual

Answer 41

TRUE, cells can ONLY hold so much Hb

= quality control red flag

Question 42

what can cause an increase in MCHC?

Answer 42

• hemolysis
• lipemia
• heinz bodies

Question 43

what can cause a decrease in MCHC?

Answer 43

• iron deficiency (ONLY SEVERE)

- presence of many reticulocytes still making Hb assoc. w/ REGENERATIVE ANEMIA

Question 44

T/F: you can use the same set up to measure MCV for different species

Answer 44

FALSE, MCV is species specific