BLOOD CASE STUDY LATEST UPDATE 2023 | 2024 TOP RATED

1. The values collected from a CBC can reveal a great deal of information about a patient’s health. This information can be broken down into three broad categories, which are listed below. For each of these categories, list all of the CBC values that would provide information on that aspect of the patient’s health. OXYGENATION STATUS (oxygen-carrying capacity): RBC count, Hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean RBC IMMUNE STATUS (signs of infection, allergy, immune suppression): WBC Count, neutrophils, and basophils HEMOSTASIS (blood clotting): Platelets 2. Review the measurements in the CBC. For each abnormal value, describe what physiological effect it might have on the patient. Connect each of your descriptions to one or more of the symptoms Harold has been experiencing. According to the pearson textbook chapter 17.4, neutrophils are a way on how it defends against infection and is very attracted to sites of inflammation. For instance, having acute bacteria or infection like meningitis or appendicitis. Basophils is an inflammatory chemical that includes granules filled with histamine and the histamine attracts white blood cells to the inflamed site. Together, these two cell types are connected with Harold’s chronic atrophic gastritis and it also explains why his white blood cell count is a little elevated. This type of inflammatory is with his symptoms of heartburn, nausea, and indigestion. Harold is also experiencing signs and symptoms of being fatigued, having difficulty breathing, headaches, and feeling dizzy. The low RBC, hemoglobin, and hematocrit values are connected to these. According to the textbook, the elevated mean RBC volume, combined with low RBC and hematocrit, is saying that Harold has a low number of red blood cells and the cells he is producing are very big. According to pearson 17.4, large red blood cells do not carry oxygen very well. 3. Doctors have determined that Harold is anemic. Describe this condition. What are the primary pieces of evidence from the CBC that point to this diagnosis? According to pearson’s textbook chapter 17.3, anemia is a blood disorder where it is “lacking blood” and the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity is too low to support metabolism. People that have this are usually fatigue, sometimes pale, and shortness of breath and some chills. In Harold’s case the evidence from the CBC includes the low RBC, hemoglobin, and hematocrit. All of these are very abnormal low red blood cells total mass. 4. Chronic atrophic gastritis is a condition that leads to the degradation of the lining of the stomach. Based on Harold’s history of this form of gastritis, his doctor also ordered tests to check the levels of vitamin B12 in his blood. How might Harold’s gastritis affect these levels? The stomach mucosa produces a substance called intrinsic factor. This substance is important to have normal absorption of vitamin B12. Damage to the stomach mucosa, caused by Harold’s chronic inflammatory condition, can have an inhibitory effect on the production of intrinsic factor and the absorption of this important vitamin. Vitamin B12 is important for the normal development of red blood cells, according to chapter 17.3 5. There are many different types of anemia. Which specific type of anemia is Harold suffering from? Beginning with the peripheral blood smear, describe the key pieces of evidence you’ve used to draw this conclusion. Harold is suffering from the disease, pernicious anemia. According to chapter 17.3 from pearson, pernicious anemia is an autoimmune disease that mostly affects the elderly. Harold is 67 years old. According to pearson, the cells produce a substance called an intrinsic factor that must be present in b12 to be absorbed in interstitial cells. In which case, this has been damaged by his blood cells and this can be seen in the blood smear. This is why vitamin B12 is important for the body and the development of our body. Having low B12 red blood cells grow but do not divide during their development of RBC. This is why Harold could have very low numbers of RBC. 6. What would be the treatment for Harold’s blood condition? Explain how this would help treat his symptoms. A treatment for Harold’s anemia would be giving him vitamin B12 injections, pills or B12 gel that is only applied to the nasal mucosa. By giving Harold these treatments, it will be helpful for him to restore vitamin B12 in his body so that the red blood cells can develop normally and help with Harold’s oxygenation issues that he was suffering with before.