Red Blood Cells Flashcards
do RBCs have organelles?
no
what’s the main job of hemoglobin?
transport O2 in the blood (also a bit of CO2)
what is the nutrient at the center of the heme group?
iron
where are RBC’s, WBC’s, and platelets made?
Red Bone Marrow
if red bone marrow is employed making a ton of either rbcs, wbcs, or platelets, what will happen to the production of the other two types of cells? this is the idea that explains ________ of chronic disease
it will be compromised and become deficient. if the body needs to produce a ton of WBCs for a chronic disease condition, RBC production will be compromised. if the body must produce a ton of RBCs, then WBC production will be compromised
anemia of chronic disease
how long do rbc’s typically live? what happens when they are ready to die? where do the end products go
120 days
they get caught in the special capillaries of the spleen and are broken down by macrophages
amino acids and iron get recycled. bilirubin goes to the liver to be eliminated with bile
what are the two reasons jaundice might occur?
too much blood is being broken down, the liver can’t keep up
liver is compromised and can’t keep up
what is a cbc lab? what is a differential?
complete blood count
differential breaks down WBC counts by type
name each thing counted on a CBC
_____ is the percentage of RBC mass per 100ml blood
_____ is total number of RBC
_____ is total Hb (hemoglobin) content of blood
_____ is concentration of Hb per cell
_____ is an indicator of iron levels
_____ is amount of immature RBCs, which indicates level of erythropoietic activity
hematocrit RBC count hemoglobin mean corpuscular hemoglobin ferritin reticulocytes
what could cause low or high reticulocytes?
low – bone marrow failiure
high – recent and severe blood loss
RBC _______ lab checks for size and color of RBCs
indices
on an RBC indices lab,
normal levels of hemoglobin are called _______
low levels of hemoglobin are called _______
high levels of hemoglobin are called _______
normochromic
hypochromic
hyperchromic
on an RBC indices lab,
normal mean cell volume is called _______
small mean cell volume is called _______
large mean cell volume is called _______
normocytic
microcytic
macrocytic
what are the three types of anemias, and which one will result in jaundice?
- hemorrhagic
- hemolytic (blood cells not living up to their 120-day life span), resulting in jaundice
- diminished erythropoiesis
what are some acute causes of hemorrhagic anemia
stab wound, spleen rupture
what are some chronic causes of hemorrhagic anemia
heavy menses, bleeding ulcer
what are some causes of extrinsic hemolytic anemia
venom, malaria, drugs, autoimmune disease (lupus)
what are some intrinsic causes of hemolytic anemia
genetic defect of RBC membrane or hemoglobin molecule
what are “the usual” signs of anemia?
dry/brittle skin/nail/hair muscle cramps dimming of vision tachycardia/palpitations fatigue pale feeling cold dull headache SOB
what are the three types of hemolytic anemias
spherocytosis
sickle cell anemia
thalassemia
what is it called when a person’s genes code for defective, spherical RBC cytoskeletons? is it autosomal dominant or recessive?
hereditary spherocytosis
dominant
what is it called when a person’s genes code for defective, spherical RBC cytoskeletons? is it autosomal dominant or recessive?
hereditary spherocytosis
dominant
in addition to “the usual”, what other s/s will come from hereditary spherocytosis?
normally it takes 120 days for RBCs to become spherical, when they become trapped in the spleen and ready for destruction. in this condition, the increased number of cells being destroyed in the spleen can cause
hepatosplenomegaly
jaundice
high risk of iron overload and gallstones
in hereditary spherocytosis, what are the labs for the following?
spherocytes
reticulocytes
bilirubin
present
high
high
what are the genotypes and phenotypes for sickle cell trait and sickle cell anemia?
trait: Aa (heterozygous)
they have a mix of healthy and unhealthy cells. beneficial for malaria
anemia: aa (homozygous)
no healthy cells
what age does sickle cell anemia show up and why?
6 months
this is when fetal hemoglobin wears off
in addition to the usual, what are the signs and symptoms of sickle cell anemia?
jaundice muscle cramps death of tissue bone pain blockages, hepatosplenomegaly, priapism frequent illness developmental delays
what things make sickle cell anemia worse?
anything that constricts or obstructs blood flow smoking cold dehydration stress
what are the following labs in sickle cell anemia? blood o2 bilirubin reticulocytes MRI of tissues
02 low
bilirubin high
reticulocytes high
mri shows necrosis
name the 6 types of thalassemia
beta thalassemia major beta thalassemia minor alpha thalassemia silent carrier alpha thalassemia trait/minor hemoglobin h disease hydrops fatalis syndrome
what’s the deal with beta thalassemia minor and alpha thalassemia trait/minor
one beta chain is affected and they will have mild anemia symptoms
what’s the deal with alpha thalassemia silent carrier
no one will really ever know they have it
what’s the deal with hyrdops fatalis syndrome?
all four alpha chains are fucked and they will die in utero or shortly after birth
what’s the deal with beta thalassemia major and hemoglobin h disease?
both beta chains affected
three of four alpha chains affected
severe hemolytic anemia s/s jaundice chipmunk faces bone marrow hypertrophies from producing so many RBCs but can't keep up die around age 30
primary vs secondary iron deficiency anemia
primary: not enough iron in the diet
secondary: some other thing in the body is causing an absorption or uptake problem
in addition to the usual, what are the other symptoms of iron deficiency anemia?
“weird cravings” like chalk and dirt
glossitis
what are the labs for the following in iron deficiency anemia? size color rbc count hematocrit ferritin
microcytic hypochromic low low low
with B12 and ______ deficiency anemia, the red blood mcells are (macro or micro cytic) and why?
folic acid
marcocytic because they don’t divide enough.
in labs for folic acid and b12 deficiency, what size and color will the cells be?
macrocytic
normochromic
in addition to the usual, what are the s/s of folic acid and b12 def?
might have mild jaundice because the large rbcs don’t last as long
sometimes glossitis
B12 def can lead to myelin destruction. –> paresthesia, muscle weakness, numbness, tingling
pernicious anemia….
___________ is an autoimmune condition in which the autoantibodies destroy the ___________ in the lining of the stomach. this leads to a reduction of ____________ and hinders their ability to absorb B12
Pernicious anemia
parietal cells
intrinsic factor
________ is when there’s an abnormally high RBC mass.
polycythemia
what are the consequences of polycythemia
blood will not circulate well and lead to occlusions
will not supply blood to the tissues properly
primary versus secondary polycythemia
primary (vera): a neoplastic condition of the bone marrow, which makes too many blood cells
secondary: resulting from another condition (typically hypoxia of heart or lungs)
what is the main treatment for polycythemia
bleed the patient
