Interpreting Lab Tests Flashcards
What are some reasons for elevated Hb?
dehydration
severe lung disease
heavy smoking
what are some reasons for Hb to fall below normal?
- iron, B12, or folate deficiency
- cirrhosis
- kidney disease
- bleeding
- cancers that affect the bone marrow
what are some causes for elevated WBC count?
bacterial infections trauma intense exercise stress heavy smoking
what are some causes for decreased WBC count?
- chemotherapy
- radiation therapy
- diseases of the immune system
what are neutrophils for?
fight bacterial infection
what are lymphocytes for?
T-cells: attack and kill germs/ regulate immune system
B-cells: make ab
what are monocytes or macrophages for?
fight infections
what are eosinophils for?
involved in allergies and reactions to parasites
what are basophils for?
long term allergic response? not well understood.
what drugs may increase WBC count?
aspirin
heparin
what are drugs that may decrease WBC count?
chemotherapy drugs
diuretics
BMP includes what values?
- electrolytes: Na+, K+, Cl-, CO2
- glucose
- Ca2+
- BUN
- creatinine
what causes hypernatremia (increased Na+)?
dehydration, renal failure, cardiac failure
what can cause hyponatremia?
vomiting, diarrhea
if BUN is elevated but creatinine is normal, what is the most common reason for this occurence?
dehydration
what is the difference btwn BMP and a CMP?
CMP is basically a BMP plus a liver profile (liver enzymes and albumin)
what is albumin a marker for?
overall general nutrition which is important for healing
what level of albumin and lymphocytes can be used as a predictor of healing in diabetic patients?
albumin difficulty healing
albumin >3 & lymphocytes > 1500/mm3 –> healing chances increase
which test is administered when administering heparin?
PTT (partial thromboplastin time)
which test(s) is administered with warfarin administration?
PT and INR
what does a prolonged or increased PT/PTT mean?
blood is taking too long to form a clot
which pathway does PT affect?
extrinsic pathway
which pathway does PTT affect?
intrinsic pathway
what is the therapeutic level of INR to decrease risk of clot formation?
INR 2-3
when is ESR used?
measures inflammation; used as a baseline for a patient with a suspected infection
what is the timescale for an ESR?
increase occurs slowly over 10-14 days and decreases slowly
what is the cutoff point for an ESR that is strongly suggestive of osteomyelitis?
> 70
what tests should you order if you suspect an infectious process?
ESR and CRP
what is the timescale for CRP?
unlike ESR, it increases rapidly over several days and returns to baseline in a week
what is the cutoff point for CRP to indicate osteomyelitis?
CRP > 3.2 with an ulcer >3mm in depth suggests osteomyelitis
uric acid is not a great tool for acute gout- why?
uric acid levels increase typically before patient exhibits clinical symptoms
what are the 3 isoenzyme forms of CK?
CK-MB: cardiac muscle
CK-MM: skeletal muscle
CK-BB: brain
aldolase is increased in skeletal muscle disease.
true
what does gout crystals look like?
- monosodium urate
- negatively birefringent
- long, thin, pointed
what does pseudogout crystals look like?
- calcium pyrophosphate
- positively birefringent
- shorter, less sharp
