NUR 221 (Critical Care - Test 4) Study Notes Questions with Correct
Answers (Grade A+)
Question 1: Hematopoiesis
Answer: Formation and maturation of blood cells
Question 2: What is the site for primary hematopoiesis?
Answer: Bone marrow
Question 3: What is the site for secondary hematopoiesis?
Answer: Organs that participate in the process including: 1. Spleen 2. Liver 3. Thymus 4. Lymphatic system
5. Lymphoid tissue
Question 4: What are the 4 components of blood?
Answer: 1. Plasma 2. Solutes (ex: ions) 3. Serum proteins (ex: coagulation, healing, etc.) 4. Cells
Question 5: Erythrocytes
Answer: Red Blood Cells (RBCs) **Normal Range: approximately 5 million RBCs in each cubic
millimeter (mm3) **Lifespan: 120 days
Question 6: What is the job of erythrocytes?
Answer: Oxygen transportation (O2 transport)
Question 7: Thrombocytes
Answer: Platelets **Normal Range: 150,000 to 400,000 **Lifespan: 8 to 12 days
Question 8: What is the job of thrombocytes?
Answer: Blood clotting
Question 9: Leukocytes
Answer: White Blood Cells (WBCs) **Normal Range: 5,000 to 10,000
Question 10: What is the job of leukocytes?
Answer: Fight infection and antigens
Page 1
,Question 11: Immunity
Answer: The body's ability to resist and fight infection
Question 12: Autoimmune
Answer: Immune reaction directed against a person's own tissue
Question 13: Active immunity
Answer: The immunity in which the body actively produces cells and mediators that result in destruction of
the antigen
Question 14: Passive immunity
Answer: The immunity that is transferred from another person **Ex: Maternal antibodies are transferred to
the newborn through the placenta
Question 15: Hemostasis
Answer: The physiological process involving platelets, blood proteins (clotting factors), and the vasculature
to form blood clots to stop bleeding from injured vessels and natural anticoagulant and fibrinolytic systems
to limit clot formation
Question 16: What are the 3 physiological mechanisms that trigger clotting in the body?
Answer: 1. Tissue injury 2. Vessel injury 3. Presence of a foreign body in the bloodstream
Question 17: What are some cues of a hematological or immunological problem?
Answer: 1. Altered oxygenation 2. Bleeding 3. Infection
Question 18: What are the first 2 screening diagnostic test performed to check for hematological and
immunological abnormalities?
Answer: 1. CBC with differential 2. Coagulation profile
Question 19: What is the normal value for the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT)?
Answer: 30 to 40 seconds
Question 20: What is the normal value for the prothrombin time (PT)?
Answer: 11 to 12.5 seconds
Page 2
,Question 21: What is the normal value for the international normalized ratio (INR)?
Answer: 0.8 to 1.1
Question 22: What is the most common type of erythrocyte disorder?
Answer: Anemia
Question 23: Anemia
Answer: A reduction in the number of circulating RBCs or hemoglobin that leads to inadequate oxygenation
of tissues causing a shunt of blood flow to vital organs
Question 24: What are some causes of anemia?
Answer: 1. Blood loss (chronic or acute) 2. Impaired production 3. Increased RBC destruction 4. Any
combination of these
Question 25: What is the most common type of anemia?
Answer: Iron deficiency anemia
Question 26: Signs and symptoms of anemia begin gradually and initially include what 3 symptoms?
Answer: 1. Fatigue 2. Weakness 3. Shortness of breath
Question 27: Hemorrhagic anemia
Answer: Anemia caused by excessive blood loss **Ex: Anemia following major trauma
Question 28: T/F: Sickle cell anemia is a genetic disorder usually caused by an inherited trait
Answer: TRUE
Question 29: In order for a patient to have sickle cell anemia the patient must have what trait passed
from both parents?
Answer: S trait
Question 30: What race is the biggest carrier of the sickle cell trait?
Answer: African Americans
Page 3
, Question 31: Sickle cell anemia causes the RBCs to clump together and form an abnormal shape, which
causes what to happen in the body?
Answer: RBCs are not able to flow through the blood vessels causing poor oxygenation of vital organs and
tissues
Question 32: What type of test is used to test the different types of hemoglobin in the bloodstream and
can be used to detect sickle cell anemia?
Answer: Hemoglobin Electrophoresis
Question 33: What are some signs/symptoms/manifestations of sickle cell anemia?
Answer: 1. Abnormal RBC levels 2. Decrease flow of oxygen to tissues 3. RBC clumping 4. Risk for
infarctions (Stroke/Heart attack) 5. Swelling or pain in joints 6. Enlarged/tender spleen 7. Decreased joint
mobility 8. Gut dysfunction 9. Delayed physical and sexual development
Question 34: Sickle cell anemia crisis
Answer: Pain that can begin suddenly and last several hours to several days. It happens when sickled red
blood cells block small blood vessels that carry blood to your bones
Question 35: What are some signs/symptoms seen in patients with sickle cell anemia crisis?
Answer: 1. Decreased urine output 2. Peripheral edema 3. Uremia
Question 36: How is sickle cell anemia treated?
Answer: 1. Administer large volumes of IV fluids (dilute viscous blood) 2. Oxygen therapy (reduces
sickling) 3. Treat infections early 4. Manage extreme pain 5. Gene transplantterm-53 (experimental)
Question 37: The acronym "HOP" for treatment of sickle cell anemia stands for:
Answer: H = Hydration O = Oxygenation P = Pain relief
Question 38: Pernicious anemia (Vitamin B12 deficiency)
Answer: Lack of mature erythrocytes caused by inability to absorb vitamin B12 into the bloodstream in the
small intestine
Question 39: Vitamin B12 is needed to make what?
Answer: Red blood cells (RBCs)
Page 4
Answers (Grade A+)
Question 1: Hematopoiesis
Answer: Formation and maturation of blood cells
Question 2: What is the site for primary hematopoiesis?
Answer: Bone marrow
Question 3: What is the site for secondary hematopoiesis?
Answer: Organs that participate in the process including: 1. Spleen 2. Liver 3. Thymus 4. Lymphatic system
5. Lymphoid tissue
Question 4: What are the 4 components of blood?
Answer: 1. Plasma 2. Solutes (ex: ions) 3. Serum proteins (ex: coagulation, healing, etc.) 4. Cells
Question 5: Erythrocytes
Answer: Red Blood Cells (RBCs) **Normal Range: approximately 5 million RBCs in each cubic
millimeter (mm3) **Lifespan: 120 days
Question 6: What is the job of erythrocytes?
Answer: Oxygen transportation (O2 transport)
Question 7: Thrombocytes
Answer: Platelets **Normal Range: 150,000 to 400,000 **Lifespan: 8 to 12 days
Question 8: What is the job of thrombocytes?
Answer: Blood clotting
Question 9: Leukocytes
Answer: White Blood Cells (WBCs) **Normal Range: 5,000 to 10,000
Question 10: What is the job of leukocytes?
Answer: Fight infection and antigens
Page 1
,Question 11: Immunity
Answer: The body's ability to resist and fight infection
Question 12: Autoimmune
Answer: Immune reaction directed against a person's own tissue
Question 13: Active immunity
Answer: The immunity in which the body actively produces cells and mediators that result in destruction of
the antigen
Question 14: Passive immunity
Answer: The immunity that is transferred from another person **Ex: Maternal antibodies are transferred to
the newborn through the placenta
Question 15: Hemostasis
Answer: The physiological process involving platelets, blood proteins (clotting factors), and the vasculature
to form blood clots to stop bleeding from injured vessels and natural anticoagulant and fibrinolytic systems
to limit clot formation
Question 16: What are the 3 physiological mechanisms that trigger clotting in the body?
Answer: 1. Tissue injury 2. Vessel injury 3. Presence of a foreign body in the bloodstream
Question 17: What are some cues of a hematological or immunological problem?
Answer: 1. Altered oxygenation 2. Bleeding 3. Infection
Question 18: What are the first 2 screening diagnostic test performed to check for hematological and
immunological abnormalities?
Answer: 1. CBC with differential 2. Coagulation profile
Question 19: What is the normal value for the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT)?
Answer: 30 to 40 seconds
Question 20: What is the normal value for the prothrombin time (PT)?
Answer: 11 to 12.5 seconds
Page 2
,Question 21: What is the normal value for the international normalized ratio (INR)?
Answer: 0.8 to 1.1
Question 22: What is the most common type of erythrocyte disorder?
Answer: Anemia
Question 23: Anemia
Answer: A reduction in the number of circulating RBCs or hemoglobin that leads to inadequate oxygenation
of tissues causing a shunt of blood flow to vital organs
Question 24: What are some causes of anemia?
Answer: 1. Blood loss (chronic or acute) 2. Impaired production 3. Increased RBC destruction 4. Any
combination of these
Question 25: What is the most common type of anemia?
Answer: Iron deficiency anemia
Question 26: Signs and symptoms of anemia begin gradually and initially include what 3 symptoms?
Answer: 1. Fatigue 2. Weakness 3. Shortness of breath
Question 27: Hemorrhagic anemia
Answer: Anemia caused by excessive blood loss **Ex: Anemia following major trauma
Question 28: T/F: Sickle cell anemia is a genetic disorder usually caused by an inherited trait
Answer: TRUE
Question 29: In order for a patient to have sickle cell anemia the patient must have what trait passed
from both parents?
Answer: S trait
Question 30: What race is the biggest carrier of the sickle cell trait?
Answer: African Americans
Page 3
, Question 31: Sickle cell anemia causes the RBCs to clump together and form an abnormal shape, which
causes what to happen in the body?
Answer: RBCs are not able to flow through the blood vessels causing poor oxygenation of vital organs and
tissues
Question 32: What type of test is used to test the different types of hemoglobin in the bloodstream and
can be used to detect sickle cell anemia?
Answer: Hemoglobin Electrophoresis
Question 33: What are some signs/symptoms/manifestations of sickle cell anemia?
Answer: 1. Abnormal RBC levels 2. Decrease flow of oxygen to tissues 3. RBC clumping 4. Risk for
infarctions (Stroke/Heart attack) 5. Swelling or pain in joints 6. Enlarged/tender spleen 7. Decreased joint
mobility 8. Gut dysfunction 9. Delayed physical and sexual development
Question 34: Sickle cell anemia crisis
Answer: Pain that can begin suddenly and last several hours to several days. It happens when sickled red
blood cells block small blood vessels that carry blood to your bones
Question 35: What are some signs/symptoms seen in patients with sickle cell anemia crisis?
Answer: 1. Decreased urine output 2. Peripheral edema 3. Uremia
Question 36: How is sickle cell anemia treated?
Answer: 1. Administer large volumes of IV fluids (dilute viscous blood) 2. Oxygen therapy (reduces
sickling) 3. Treat infections early 4. Manage extreme pain 5. Gene transplantterm-53 (experimental)
Question 37: The acronym "HOP" for treatment of sickle cell anemia stands for:
Answer: H = Hydration O = Oxygenation P = Pain relief
Question 38: Pernicious anemia (Vitamin B12 deficiency)
Answer: Lack of mature erythrocytes caused by inability to absorb vitamin B12 into the bloodstream in the
small intestine
Question 39: Vitamin B12 is needed to make what?
Answer: Red blood cells (RBCs)
Page 4
