A woman comes to the clinic complaining of fatigue, shortness of breath, and chills. Blood tests show anemia, and a bleeding ulcer is diagnosed. What type of anemia is this?

If you had a high hematocrit, would you expect your hemoglobin determination to be high or low? Why?

Lymphocytes continuously circulate through the body using blood and lymph as their transport vehicles. What is the importance of this recirculation behavior?

A middle-aged college professor from Boston is in the Swiss Alps studying astronomy. He arrived two days ago and plans to stay the entire year. However, he notices that he is short of breath when he walks up steps and that he tires easily with any physical activity. His symptoms gradually disappear; after two months, he feels fine. Upon returning to the United States, he has a complete physical exam and is told that his erythrocyte count is higher than normal.

(a) Attempt to explain this finding.

(b) Will his RBC count remain at this higher-than-normal level? Why or why not?

How can liver dysfunction cause bleeding disorders?

A bone marrow biopsy of Mr. Lee, a man on long-term drug therapy, shows an abnormally high percentage of nonhematopoietic connective tissue. What condition does this indicate? If the symptoms are critical, what short-term and long-term treatments are indicated? Which treatment is he more likely to be given: infusion of whole blood or of packed red cells?

Brittany, a healthy young woman, had a battery of tests during a physical for a new job. Her RBC count was at the higher end of the normal range at that time, but four weeks later it was substantially elevated beyond that. When asked if any circumstances had changed in her life, she admitted to taking up smoking. How might her new habit explain her higher RBC count?