Pathophysiology

Pathophysiology Study Guide

the blood. Hematology deals with the study of blood and its components. It deals with the disorders of the red blood cells, white blood cells, blood platelets, blood vessels, lymph nodes, bone marrow, and proteins in the blood that are responsible for bleeding and clotting, which are hemostasis and thrombosis. Some of these disorders are studied below. Disorders of Red Blood Cells Anemia Anemia is a disorder of the red blood cells characterized by lack of iron in the blood. In this case, the blood does not contain an adequate supply of oxygen. In other words, the element iron facilitates the development of hemoglobin in the body, and its major function is to carry oxygen from the lungs to the entire body. There are three major causes of anemia, which are loss of blood, inadequate production of red blood cells, and heavy destruction of red blood cells. Some physical conditions that may trigger anemia are heavy menstruation among women, pregnancy, ulcers, colon cancer, genetic disorders, and improper diet lacking sufficient iron, folic acid, and Vitamin B12. Blood disorders, such as sickle cell anemia, cancer, thalassemia and metabolic disorders, such as G6PD deficiency, also trigger anemia. Symptoms of anemia include tiredness, cold, irritation, headache, breathlessness, and dizziness. Polycythemia Polycythemia is a blood disorder where the body experiences an increased level of red blood cells (RBC) circulating in the bloodstream. In this case, the ratio of volume of RBC to total blood volume, known as hematocrit, concentration of hemoglobin, or above normal count of RBC, is high. Polycythemia is categorized as primary and secondary. In primary polycythemia, genetic disorders cause issues with the production process of RBC, which is responsible for increasing the red blood cells. When the RBC increases due to any other factor other than the production of RBC, it is known as secondary polycythemia. Some factors causing secondary polycythemia are sleep apnea, hypoxia, and specific tumors. Disorders of the White Blood Cells White blood cells (WBC) help the body combat invading germs and fight infections in the body. A healthy human body makes over a hundred billion white blood cells every day. The increase or decrease in the number of white blood cells in the bloodstream becomes responsible for causing WBC disorders. Some of these disorders are studied below. Leukopenia Leukopenia is a condition where the cells that fight diseases (leukocytes) in the white blood cells fall significantly. These cells are known as neutrophils. The cause of leukopenia may vary and includes medication, chemotherapy treatment, radiation treatment, surgery, transplantation of stem cells or bone marrow, steroids, cancer, or autoimmune diseases. Treatment of leukopenia is possible with antibiotics like ciprofloxacin, amoxicillin/clavulanate, ceftazidime, or vancomycin, if it is caused by cancer or fever. Further, bone marrow can be stimulated by Granulocyte-macrophage and

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