Blood / Hematology Fun Facts
What percent of the body does blood make up?
8%
What is hemoglobin?
Oxygen carrying part of red blood cells
What are some examples of antigoagulation medications?
Warfarin (Coumadin)
Heparin
Enoxaparin (Lovenox)
Dabigatran (Pradaxa)
Dalteparin (Fragmin)
What is anemia?
Deficiency of RBCs, Hemoglobin, and/or Hematocrit
A 72-year-old patient presents with complaints of fatigue, dyspnea on exertion, and numbness in her fingers and toes. The nurse correlates these findings to which condition?
•A. Thrombocytopenia
•B. Thrombocytosis
•C. Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia
•D. Iron-deficiency anemia
C - Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Approximately how many blood cells does the body make per second?
17 million
What is the purpose of lymphocytes?
Produce antibodies to fight infection
What are some health conditions that anticoagulation medications treat?
DVT
Afib
PE
What is the daily iron requirement?
25 mg
The nurse recognizes that a deficiency in a clotting factor may cause which finding(s)? (Select all that apply.)
•A. Easy bruising and cutaneous hematoma formation with minor trauma (e.g., an injection)
•B. Bleeding from the gums and prolonged bleeding following minor injuries or cuts
•C. Enhanced platelet aggregation and increased clumping of RBCs
•D. Fibrin molecules form fibrin threads to increase wound healing
•E. Yellowish skin color
A. Easy bruising and cutaneous hematoma formation with minor trauma (e.g., an injection)
B. Bleeding from the gums and prolonged bleeding following minor injuries or cuts
What does the hematologic system consist of?
Blood
Blood cells
Lymph
Organs involved with blood formation or blood storage
What are the three types of granulocytes?
Neutrophils
Eosinophils
Basophils
Your patient is on warfarin. What lab value does the nurse need to monitor?
INR
What is sickle cell anemia?
Genetic disorder of hemoglobin - affects the shape and function of the cells which can cause painful crisis
What is a probable initial assessment finding for a patient with a low hemoglobin count?
•A. Increased and bounding peripheral pulses
•B. Hypertension
•C. Pallor and fatigue
•D. Moist mucus membranes
Pallor and fatigue
How many pints of blood are in the average human body?
10
What is hematocrit?
Percent of red blood cells
What is a bleeding time test?
Test to assess overall clotting function and detect platelet function disorders
What are the four types of sickle cell crisis?
Vasoocclusive
Aplastic
Sequestration
Hemolytic
The nurse is asked to obtain a differential after the results of the CBC reveal an elevated WBC count. Which statement is true about a differential?
A. Determines the percentage of platelets in the circulating blood
B. Determines the proportion of each type of WBC in a blood sample
C. If the infection is bacterial, then the neutrophil count will be decreased.
D. If the basophils are elevated, then the patient has a viral infection.
B. Determines the proportion of each type of WBC in a blood sample
What are the three components of blood?
Plasma (55%)
Buffy coat, leukocytes & platelets (<1%)
Erythrocytes (45%)
What are the main functions of red blood cells (2)?
Pick up oxygen from lungs and transport to tissues
Pick up carbon dioxide from tissues and take back to lungs
What does PT (Prothrombin Time) measure?
Time required for fibrin clot to form
What are some signs and symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia?
Tachypnea, SOB, tachycardia, pallor, fatigue, dizziness, change LOC, cognitive impairment, glossitis, Koilonychias (spoon-shaped fingernails)
The nurse is assigned to a patient with thrombocytopenia. What is the priority goal of nursing care?
A. Prevention of infection
B. Prevention of injury
C. Prevention of dehydration
D. Prevention of nutritional deficit
B. Prevention of injury