Question

1a. Ashley is diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia. In terms of this complete blood count, what might you expect to see? Why is she tired all of the time?

b. While he was in the ICU with bacterial sepis, Domingo was diagnosed with DIC . His physician said he is suffering from several of his organs shutting down, due to blood clots, and he also has numerous bruises throughout his body. Please explain why.

c. Mrs. Boyle has a long history of lung problems causing her chronic hypoxia, releasing growth factor. She has symptoms of itching, h/a, backache, and visual disturbance. As a result, what might we expect to see in terms of her red blood cell count? High or low? What is the diagnosis for this blood condition and how might she treat it?

Answer 1

Question A answer:

Ashley is diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia. It is a disease condition in which there is deficiency of iron in the blood. So in the complete blood count there will be lack of adequate amount of healthy red blood cells. This red blood cells carry oxygen to the body's tissues.

As there is insufficiency of iron in the blood,the body cannot produce enough of a substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen, that is hemoglobin. As a result iron deficiency anemia leave the patient tired and also short of breath.

Question B Answer:

Here the patient is diagnosed with DIC.( Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation). It is a disease condition in which blood clots forms throughout the body, blocking small vessels.

Symptoms may include shortness of breath, chest pain, leg pain, speaking problem, problem for moving body parts.

Multiorgan failure is complication of DIC.

As clotting factor and platelets are used up,the bleeding may occur in the urine, blood in the stool and especially bleeding into the skin.

So in this case due to less clotting factor amd platelets natural clotting mechanism is interrupted,so bleeding will be longer than normal,this blood gets trapped under the surface of the skin,it will form a bruice.

Question c answer:

The patient is suffering from hypoxia. This is a disease condition in which the body or region of the body suffering from low oxygen supply at tissue level.

As the patient is having long time lung disease with chronic hypoxia, the hormone erythropoietin secreted by kidney stimulates bone marrow to produce more red blood cells via erythropoiesis.

This increased red blood cell count in the body called polycythemia.

Diagnosis: includes

1.complete medical history and physical examination

2 .Blood tests: finding includes

• More red blood cells count than normal
• More blood volum due to greater red blood cells count
• Elevated level of iron rich protein in red blood cells called hemoglobin
• Very low hormones in the bone marrow to produce new red blood cells.   

Treatment includes:

1. Reducing the amount of blood in the body: this is done by drawing some amount of blood out of the body called phlebotomy. This will decrease blood volume and number of excess blood cells.

2. Medication to decrease blood cells: Medication to suppress the bone marrow ability to produce red blood cells sucha as hydroxyurea might be used