So I know I said that I only had one question, but it looks like I have another one. The question on my assignment is as follows:

 

A medical technologist became very confused at the result of a CBC she completed on a patient. As she went to pick up the tube off of the mixer, she noticed a large number of very small clumps in the tube. After she put the tube in a beaker of warm water (37^o C), the clumps disappeared. She re-ran the CBC and the results looked more like the results of a patient who was actually alive. What could have caused this clumping?

 

I'm really not sure what this clumping could be. I'm torn between 2 answers here.

The first: the clumping is the result of platelets clotting.

The second: This patient probably has multiple myeloma or hepatitis C. I believe this to be the answer I'm after due to the presence of cryoglobulins. These would "un-clump" if placed in the 37 degree water right? I'm not very familiar with a CBC test though and I could be off base.

 

Any help is much appreciated and thanks in advance!!

Could also be this (Cold agglutinin disease):

 

Cold agglutinins are autoantibodies that cause red blood cells to clump, but only when the blood is cooled below the normal body temperature of 98.6°F (37°C). The clumping is most pronounced at temperatures below 78°F (25.6°C).

 

http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/cold+agglutinins+test

 

I don't think it is platelets clotting.

Edited December 1, 201015 yr by Twinbird24

Could also be this (Cold agglutinin disease):

s

Cold agglutinins are autoantibodies that cause red blood cells to clump, but only when the blood is cooled below the normal body temperature of 98.6°F (37°C). The clumping is most pronounced at temperatures below 78°F (25.6°C).

 

http://medical-dicti...gglutinins+test

 

I don't think it is platelets clotting.

 

Holy hell this is exactly what the answer is. I completely forgot about these antibodies! You just earned me an extra 5% on my final exam. Pour yourself a drink!

yay!