Lab & Diagnostics

Use____________ precautions in collecting and handling any blood for specimen collection.

standard

T or F. Results out of the normal ranges are to be reported to the provider for further intervention.

True

Normal RBC lab value in men

4.2-5.4 million/uL

Normal RBC lab value in women

3.6-5.0 million/uL

What are some lifespan considerations in RBCs?

women tend to have a lower value than men

levels tend to decline after middle age

Normal hemoglobin lab value in men

14-17.4 g/dL

Normal hemoglobin lab value in women

12-16 g/dL

What are the critical values of hemoglobin?

<5 g/dL

>20 g/dL

Normal hematocrit lab value in women

36-48%

Normal hematocrit lab value in men

42-52%

What are the critical values of hematocrit?

< 15%

> 60%

What are some lifespan considerations in hematocrit?

women tend to have a lower value than men

levels tend to decline after middle age

What conditions can cause increased RBCs?

polycythemia and dehydration

What conditions can cause decreased RBCs?

anemia, hemorrhaging

What are some clinical manifestation of increased RBCs, Hgb, and Hct?

disturbed vision, headache, dizziness, flushing, and fatigue

What are some clinical manifestation of decreased RBCs, Hgb, and Hct?

weakness, fatigue, lack of energy, pallor, SOB, fainting

What do WBCs determine?

infection, inflammation, and identifies various types of leukemia

Normal WBC lab value

4,500-10,500 cells/mm3

What are the critical WBC lab values?

< 2,500 cells/mm3

>30,000 cells/mm3

What conditions can cause increased WBCs?

infection, inflammation

What conditions can cause decreased WBCs?

bone marrow disorders, autoimmune disorders

What are some clinical manifestations of increased WBCs?

fever (pyrexia), chills, body aches, pain, headache (other s/sx depends on location)

What are some clinical manifestations of decreased WBCs?

fatigue, frequent infections, pain

If WBCs are low, what precautions do we initiate?

neutropenic

What do platelets determine?

the ability of the blood to clot normally

diagnose and monitor severe thrombocytosis or thrombocytopenia

Normal platelet lab value

140,000-400,000 mm3

What are the critical platelet lab values?

<50,000 mm3

>1 million mm3

What condition causes high platelets?

thrombocytosis

What condition causes low platelets?

thrombocytopenia

What are some clinical manifestations of increased platelets?

may indicate cancer, anemia, or TB

at risk for clotting issues such as stroke, MI

What are some clinical manifestations of decreased platelets?

easy bruising, prolonged bleeding, epistaxis, GI bleeds, heavy menstrual bleeding, petechiae, purpura, hematuria, extremely low values can cause spontaneous bleeding