Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
My sister in law's TLC are going down continuously from 16 to 10 and WBC count from 8500 to 2330. She was admitted to the hospital for a kidney issue.
What tests should be done to know the exact cause of WBC going down?
WBC count are continuously decreasing after post-partum sepsis and renal dysfunction treatment. Four units of PRBC, two units platelet, and one unit plasma transfused during treatment. She is on tablet Folvite and tablet Sedron.
Hello,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
Sorry to hear about the ill health of your sister-in-law.
In the attached reports (attachment removed to protect patient identity), total count and absolute neutrophils are low, suggestive of bone marrow suppression.
You have mentioned in the history that there was sepsis in the postpartum period. So infection, especially severe infection, is one of the causes of bone marrow suppression. Her low count might be due to that reason mainly. So blood culture can be done to check for the presence of infection.
She needs to be treated for infection, and other supportive treatment should be given. If there is still no improvement, then a bone marrow biopsy can be done.
As of now, the low count seems to be due to infection-induced bone marrow suppression. Anemia, i.e., low hemoglobin, could be due to kidney disease or bone marrow suppression.
Kidneys secrete the EPO (erythropoietin) hormone, which stimulates red blood cell production. So kidney disease that causes low EPO might be the reason for anemia.
I hope this helps.
Patient's Query
Thank you doctor,
In the peripheral smear report, there is normocytic anemia with mild hemolytic component. What could this be?
Hi,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
I can understand your concern. Following is my opinion on your asked question.
In the attached peripheral smear report, normocytic normochromic anemia is seen, which means red blood cell size and hemoglobin content are not disturbed.
Normocytic normochromic anemia is usually seen in infections and kidney disease. So, your anemia is due to kidney disease and an infective component.
Polychromatic red blood cells are also seen, which suggests hemolysis, meaning the destruction of red blood cells. Mild hemolysis is seen in infection. So hemolysis components, especially polychromatic red blood cells, are seen due to the infection itself. It is good that there are no abnormal cells in the peripheral smear.
I hope this helps.
Was this conversation helpful?
Answered byDr. Goswami Parth Rajendragiri
Medically reviewed byDr. Vinodhini J.
Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!
Related Questions
My blood report shows low WBC count. Is this an serious issue?
Patient has painful papules on both sides of hands. Please provide diagnosis.
My little child has fever and low WBC count. Can it be dengue fever?
My mom has a fever for more than a week with bowel problems. What could cause this?
My WBC count is slightly low. Should I be worried about cancer?
Can you please explain my blood report?
Disclaimer: No content published on this website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis, advice or treatment by a trained physician. Seek advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with questions you may have regarding your symptoms and medical condition for a complete medical diagnosis. Do not delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice because of something you have read on this website. Read our Editorial Process to know how we create content for health articles and queries.
