About Red Blood Cells

Prior I discussed some parameters used on the CBC. Of course nothing of that had a meaning if you don't know what we are looking for. Here is some of the aspects, terms for the red blood cells and how we related them to make a diagnosis on the patient that will help the doctor to treated correctly.

MCV = Mean Cell Volume
This parameter is use to identify the size of the cells. Even that normally is some variations in size of the red blood cells and is normal in recently born babies...other variations are abnormal.
Decreased MCV - Decreased MCV means that the volume of the cell is less than normal. The term used for decreased MCV is Microcytes. Microcytes are related with certain types of anemias ( we will discussed later about the term Anemia).
Increased MCV - Increased MCV means that the cell is larger than other normal red blood cells. The term used for increased MCV is Macrocytes. Macrocytes also are related with other type of anemia.
Normal MCV - Volume of the cell is normal and is refered as Normocytic. The term normocytic is used for classification of certain types of anemia.
The term used for variation in size is Anisocytosis.

MCH - Mean Concentration Hemoglobin
This parameter is used to identify the concentration of the hemoglobin. Along with the MCH we used also the MCHC = Mean Cell Hemoglobin Concentration. These two parameters are used in conjunction to identify possible variation in the content of hemoglobin on the red blood cells.
Two terms are use to describe these variations:
Hypochromia = When the amount of hemoglobin is decreased and the central pale area becomes larger and paler this is refer as Hypochromia.
When this happened usually the MCH and the MCHC are decreased.
Hyperchromia = Any increased of the MCH or the MCHC is refer as Hyperchromia.
Some conditions can show elevated MCH with normal MCHC or MCH normal with increased MCHC.

Variations in shape.
Normally the red blood cells have the same shape. Rounded with a central pale area
( we called bicocave disc). When there is a variation in shape we used the term Poikilocytosis.

Polycromatophilia
Normally the mature red blood cells when are stained maintain the red to pink color. When cells are not complete mature and its content is RNA the color stained maybe purple to light blue (polychromatophilia). These cells are maybe one or two days old. Increased polychromasia maybe due to marked blood loss or acute blood loss. In babies recently born is normal to see increased polychromasia.

The White Blood Cells

The Basophil - Oil Immersion 100x

The Eosinophil - Oil Immersion 100x

The Neutrophil - Oil Immersion 100x

The Monocyte - Oil Immersion 100x

The Lymphocyte - Oil Immersion 100x

All cells are stain with Giemsa-Wright Staining

CBC plus Differential

Sometimes only a CBC is not enough to determine what is going on in the blood. Along with the CBC comes the order of the differential. The differential is used to explain the following: platelets estimated count, RBC morphology, plus the count of 100 white blood cells. The Technologist must identify those 100 cells plus add comments of other observations like organisms, present of immature cells, inclusions on the cells and other valuable information used for the diagnosis of the patient.
Between the white blood cells we can differentiate 5 important cells; neutrophils,basophils,eosinophils,lymphocytes and monocytes. Each cell had a unique function. Neutrophils are important in the defense against infectious diseases. Eosinophils act as phagocytes and module inflammatory responses.Basophils are related to hypersensitivity reactions. Monocytes serve as defense against micoorganisms. And last but not least important, lymphocytes are part of our immune response.

Coast view...

If it happened that you visit Puerto Rico....go to the west coast and not only San Juan....San Juan is not even of a quarter of beautiful as this area. To mention some places...Cabo Rojo ( Bahia Sucia), Aguadilla ( Crashboat), Isabela (Guajataca). Ah...don't missed the only tropical rain forest in a USA territory ( El Yunque).
Other places to visit....Culebra Island (Flamenco Beach which is ranked the third most beautiful beach in the world).

My old job and my new job...!!

From the US Customs and Border Protection to the Laboratory. Difference between jobs; at CBP I defend our agriculture from pest and diseases...function that has not being taking seriously by the new agency (former USDA) and at the lab I got the satisfaction when I'm going home that I may saved a life...something priceless.

Another picture of my daughter..!!!

She loves to pose for pictures....
Stephanie Nicole....
An artistic name...

My beautiful daughter...snack of bread !!

I can't see my daughter very often because she lives in Puerto Rico with her mom so recently I traveled to Puerto Rico to see her ( 1 year and 10 months ). I snap a picture of her eating bread...It is cute...!!!

The CBC

CBC stand for Complete Cell Count.....Almost every person at least more than once had a CBC done. The CBC gives the doctor detailed information about what is going on in the blood. There is two main lines of cells; White blood cells (leukocytes) and Red blood cells (erythrocytes). White blood cells had a wide range of functions primarily as defense mechanism against diseases and red blood cells are in charge of the trasnportation of oxygen to organs and tissues.
This is the information content in a CBC;
WBC = White blood cell count ( Normal range: 4,000 to 10,000)
RBC = Red cell count ( Normal range; 4 to 5 million)
PLT = Platelets (Normal range: 150,000 to 350,0000)

Platelets function is related with the coagulation.

Other information content in the CBC:
MCV = Mean Cell Volume ( provide information about size of the cell).
MCHC = Mean Cell Concentration Hemoglobin
MCH = Mean Cell Hemoglobin ( provide information about content of hemoglobin on the cell).
HGB = Hemoglobin ( protein that bind O2 and carrie it on the RBC) Normal - 11-13
HGB vary depending on the sex
HCT = Hematocrit ( ratio of red cell volume on whole blood) Normal - 36% a 45%
RDW = Red Distribution Width ( provide information about variation in sizes of the RBC) Normal = 12 a 17%

Later I will discussed why this information is useful and how results can demonstrate some kind of diseases.

What is a Medical Technologist ?

To start from the basics and to understand the laboratory work we have to learn who is the person behind the laboratory results. The Medical Technologist is a person who received training to interpret, analize and ultimately to result laboratory work up. Several organizations accredited certified that the Medical Technologist meet the minimum requirements to work in the laboratory. For example, I'm certified by the American Society of Clinical Pathology. A Medical Laboratory Technician do exactly the same as a Medical Technologist the difference is in the academic preparation plus the Medical Technologist is who finalize the outcome of laboratory results. Also we are trained to troubleshoot laboratory equipment and work with the QC to assured accurate and precise results.

Sunset in Puerto Rico (Aguadilla)

Understanding lab work

Had you ever feel sick and when you visit the doctor, they order a bunch of test that you don't know what the heck they are ? Well, this blog will help people to understand a little bit the work that us as Med Tech ( Laboratory) do. Understand principles and how we do the test, requirements for those test and the final interpretation.