Blood Gas Disorders and Circulating Blood Conditions

Flashcards covering blood gas disorders, red and white blood cell abnormalities, platelet disorders, and blood transfusion complications.

What is decompression sickness (DCS), also known as the bends?

A potentially fatal condition that can occur as a result of deep sea diving or unpressurized air travel, where rapid ascent causes accumulated nitrogen to form bubbles in the blood or tissue.

What is the required treatment for decompression sickness?

Administering 100% oxygen followed by a recompression in a hyperbaric chamber.

What is carbon monoxide poisoning?

A condition occurring when an abnormally high concentration of carbon monoxide builds up in the blood, resulting in hypoxia (deficient oxygen levels in the body's tissue and organs).

What causes carbon monoxide poisoning?

Accidentally inhaling combustion fumes from improperly ventilated heaters, appliances, and engines.

What is hemochromatosis?

Also known as iron overload disease, it is a genetic disorder in which the intestines absorb too much iron, which enters the bloodstream and accumulates in organs where it causes damage.

What is hereditary spherocytosis?

A genetic disorder that causes red blood cells to be spherical rather than flat, making them fragile with a shorter lifespan than normal erythrocytes.

What conditions can result from hereditary spherocytosis taxing the spleen's ability to clear red cells?

Splenomegaly and anemia.

What is leukopenia?

A decrease in the number of disease fighting leukocytes circulating in the blood, also known as a low white blood cell count.

What is neutropenia and what usually causes it?

The presence of abnormally few of the white blood cells called neutrophils in the blood, usually occurring as a result of cancer treatment.

What is polycythemia?

A condition which causes the bone marrow to produce too many erythrocytes, causing the blood to thicken and increasing the risk of blood clots and other complications.

What is the most common cause of polycythemia?

A rare blood cancer called polycythemia vera.

What is thrombocytopenia?

A condition in which there is an abnormally small number of platelets circulating in the blood, sometimes associated with abnormal bleeding.

What is thrombocytosis?

An abnormal increase in the number of platelets in the circulating blood, sometimes referred to as secondary thrombocytosis.

What is a hemorrhage and what do its root words mean?

The loss of a large amount of blood in a short time, where "hemo" means blood and "reg" means bleeding.

What is hemorrhagic shock?

A leading cause of death in traumatic injuries.

What is a transfusion reaction?

A serious and potentially fatal complication of a blood transfusion in which a severe immune response occurs because the patient's blood and the donated blood do not match.