Chapter 25 Hematologic Emergencies

Question 1

What is acute chest syndrome?

Answer 1

A vasoocclusive crisis that can be associated with pneumonia; common signs and symptoms include chest pain, fever, and cough; associated with sickle cell disease.

Question 2

What is acute splenic sequestration syndrome?

Answer 2

A condition in which red blood cells become trapped in the spleen, causing a dramatic decline in the amount of hemoglobin available in the circulation; it usually occurs in infants or toddlers.

Question 3

What is anemia?

Answer 3

A lower than normal hemoglobin or erythrocyte level.

Question 4

What is aplastic crisis?

Answer 4

A temporary halt in the production of red blood cells; it may occur as a result of sickle cell disease.

Question 5

What is the clotting cascade?

Answer 5

The process by which clotting factors work together to ultimately form fibrin.

Question 6

What are clotting factors?

Answer 6

Substances in the blood that are necessary for clotting; also called coagulation factors.

Question 7

What is coagulopathy?

Answer 7

Any type of bleeding disorder that interferes with the activation or continuation of the clotting cascade or hemostasis.

Question 8

What is disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)?

Answer 8

A condition that begins with widespread activation of the clotting cascade, which depletes the clotting factors and platelets, and eventually results in uncontrolled hemorrhage.

Question 9

What are erythrocytes?

Answer 9

Red blood cells.

Question 10

What is hematocrit?

Answer 10

The proportion of red blood cells in the total blood volume.

Question 11

What is a hematologic disorder?

Answer 11

Any disorder of the blood.

Question 12

What is hematology?

Answer 12

The study of the physiology of blood.

Question 13

What is the hematopoietic system?

Answer 13

The system that includes all blood components and the organs involved in their development and production.

Question 14

What is hemoglobin?

Answer 14

The iron-rich protein in the blood that carries oxygen.

Question 15

What is a hemolytic crisis?

Answer 15

A condition in which red blood cells break down quickly; it may occur as a result of sickle cell disease.

Question 16

What are hemolytic disorders?

Answer 16

Disorders relating to the breakdown of red blood cells.

Question 17

What is hemophilia?

Answer 17

A bleeding disorder that is primarily hereditary, in which clotting does not occur or occurs insufficiently.

Question 18

What is hemostasis?

Answer 18

The body’s natural blood-clotting mechanism.

Question 19

What are hemostatic disorders?

Answer 19

Bleeding and clotting abnormalities.

Question 20

What is iron-deficiency anemia?

Answer 20

The most common type of anemia, in which iron stores are low or lacking and the serum iron concentration is low.

Question 21

What is leukemia?

Answer 21

A cancer (malignancy) of the blood-forming organs that particularly affects the white blood cells, which develop abnormally and/or excessively at the expense of normal blood cells.

Question 22

What are leukocytes?

Answer 22

White blood cells.

Question 23

What is leukocytosis?

Answer 23

An increase in the total number of white blood cells.

Question 24

What is leukopenia?

Answer 24

A reduction in the number of white blood cells.

Question 25

What are lymphoblasts?

Answer 25

Lymphocytes that have been transformed because of stimulation by an antigen.

Question 26

What is the lymphoid system?

Answer 26

The system primarily made up of the bone marrow, lymph nodes, and spleen, which participates in formation of lymphocytes and immune responses; also called the lymphatic system.

Question 27

What are lymphomas?

Answer 27

Malignant diseases that arise within the lymphoid system; they include non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin lymphomas.

Question 28

What is multiple myeloma?

Answer 28

A disease in which the number of plasma cells in the bone marrow increases abnormally, causing tumors to form in the bones.

Question 29

What is neutropenia?

Answer 29

An abnormally low number of neutrophils.

Question 30

What is plasma?

Answer 30

A component of blood, made of 92% water, 6% to 7% proteins, and electrolytes, clotting factors, and glucose; plasma accounts for 55% of the total blood volume.

Question 31

What is polycythemia?

Answer 31

An overabundance or overproduction of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

Question 32

What is the reticuloendothelial system?

Answer 32

The body system that is primarily used to defend against infection.

Question 33

What is a sickle cell crisis?

Answer 33

A condition in which a patient with sickle cell disease experiences significant pain due to insufficient passage of oxygen and nutrients into tissues and joints because of vessel congestion.

Question 34

What is sickle cell disease?

Answer 34

A disease that causes the red blood cells to be misshapen, resulting in poor oxygen-carrying capability and potentially resulting in red blood cells becoming lodged in the blood vessels or the spleen.

Question 35

What is a splenic sequestration crisis?

Answer 35

An acute, painful enlargement of the spleen caused by sickle cell disease.

Question 36

What are stem cells?

Answer 36

Cells that can develop into other types of cells in the body.

Question 37

What is thalassemia?

Answer 37

A type of anemia in which either not enough hemoglobin is produced or the hemoglobin is defective.

Question 38

What are thrombocytes?

Answer 38

Platelets.

Question 39

What is thrombocytopenia?

Answer 39

A reduction in the number of platelets.

Question 40

What is thrombocytosis?

Answer 40

A condition in which the body produces too many platelets.

Question 41

What is thrombosis?

Answer 41

Coagulation or clotting of blood in a blood vessel.

Question 42

What are transfusion reactions?

Answer 42

Physiologic responses that are similar to anaphylactic reactions, in which the body reacts to the infusion of blood; they occur rapidly and can cause severe circulatory collapse and death.

Question 43

What is transfusion-related lung injury?

Answer 43

A transfusion reaction characterized by increased pulmonary capillary permeability, resulting in noncardiogenic pulmonary edema.

Question 44

What is a vasoocclusive crisis?

Answer 44

Ischemia and pain caused by sickle-shaped red blood cells that obstruct blood flow to a portion of the body.

Question 45

What is von Willebrand disease?

Answer 45

A bleeding disorder in which the patient is missing the von Willebrand factor (a protein essential for platelet adhesion); its absence means that the blood does not clot well.