Understanding Bld Cunts PMH This pamphlet is fr patients at Princess Margaret Hspital. It will help yu t read and understand the bld cunt infrmatin yu get frm the bld lab. Patient Educatin Imprving Health Thrugh Educatin This infrmatin is t be used fr infrmatinal purpses nly and is nt intended as a substitute fr prfessinal medical advice, diagnsis r treatment. Please cnsult yur health care prvider fr advice abut a specific medical cnditin. A single cpy f these materials may be reprinted fr nn cmmercial persnal use nly. 2005 University Health Netwrk. All rights reserved. Authr: Charissa Crdn RN, APNE and Sarah D Angel, RN, APNE Edited by: Sarah McBain, Librarian, Patient Educatin & Survivrship Created: 01/2005 Frm: D 5066 10/2009 Page 1 f 9
Did yu knw? Bld tests are an imprtant part f yur care and treatment because the tests help t shw yur health care team hw healthy yu are. Bld tests are dne by taking a small amunt f bld frm a vein in yur arm using a needle r using a temprary device called a central venus catheter. Yur dctr might suggest that yu get this temprary device t reduce the number f times yu need t be pricked with a needle. Nt every patient will get the same bld tests. Depending n yur medical cnditin, different types f bld tests may be dne. What is a bld cunt? A bld cunt is a test that is dne by a nurse r a dctr t get infrmatin abut the cells in yur bld. Yur bld cunt measures the minerals, nutrients and ther parts that make up yur bld. Bld tests will be rdered by yur dctr r nurse, during yur clinic visits, fllw up appintments r while yu are staying in the hspital. Why are bld cunts imprtant? Yur health care team will need t review the results f yur bld test(s), t get an idea f hw healthy yu are. Parts f yur bld cunts may be t high r lw, because f yur cancer r because f the treatments yu are having fr yur cancer. Depending n hw healthy yu are, yur bld cunts may return t nrmal n their wn, r yu may need mre treatment t make yur bld cunts nrmal again. If yur bld cunts are t high r t lw, yu and yur health care team may need t d treatments t fix this befre yu can cntinue yur cancer treatment. Hw can I tell if my bld cunts are nt nrmal? The nly way that yu and yur health care team can tell if yur bld cunts are nt nrmal is t get a bld test and have yur bld lked at in a lab. 2003 University Health Netwrk. All rights reserved. Page 2 f 9
Sme symptms may indicate abnrmal (nt nrmal) bld cunts. It is imprtant t remember that many f these symptms are als cmmn side effects f cancer treatments: nausea (feeling sick t yur stmach) and vmiting diarrhea weakness cnfusin heart palpitatins (yur heart nt beating nrmally) muscle twitching bruising spntaneus bleeding (bleeding withut a cause) fever Yu shuld cntact yur dctr if yu experience any f these symptms. Wh can I ask fr mre infrmatin abut my bld cunts? If yu have questins abut the bld cunt infrmatin yu are given, yur nurse r (dctr) nclgist can help yu understand the results. Reading my bld cunt Yur dctr may give yu a print ut f yur bld cunt fr yu t keep. Use the descriptins n the next few pages t understand the symbls and numbers n yur bld cunt page and what they mean t yu and yur health. Cmplete Bld Cunt Yur dctr will always rder a cmplete bld cunt when yu get yur bld tested at Princess Margaret Hspital. A cmplete bld cunt measures these parts f yur bld: hemglbin (HB) platelets (PLT) white bld cells (LKC) neutrphils (Neut M r Neut A) Fr mre infrmatin abut the parts f yur bld, please read the descriptins belw. 2003 University Health Netwrk. All rights reserved. Page 3 f 9
Hemglbin (HB) This is the part in the red bld cell that carries xygen and carbn dixide frm yur lungs t cells in yur bdy. Nrmal range: Males: 140 180 g/l; Females: 120 160 g/l Fr patients at Princess Margaret Hspital, bld transfusins are usually given if hemglbin falls belw 80 g/l. Platelets (PLT) Platelets are bld cells that help yur bld frm clts r plugs s that yur bdy can stp bleeding if yu are cut, injured, r bleeding because f yur cancer treatment. A lw number f platelets can increase yur risk f bleeding t much, which can be dangerus. Nte: Ntify the nurse r dctr if yu ntice many unexplainable bruises r bleeding that wn't stp r any if yu have bld in yur urine. Nrmal range: 150 400 bil/l Fr patients at Princess Margaret Hspital, platelet transfusins are usually given if the number f platelets falls belw 10 bil/l White Bld Cells (LKC) White bld cells may als be called leukcytes. They are the cells that fight infectins in the bdy. White bld cells fight infectins by remving bacteria and damaged r abnrmal cells, such as cancer cells, frm the bdy. Nrmal range: 4 11 bil/l³ Neutrphils (Neut M r Neut A) Neutrphils are a type f white bld cell in the bdy. They are the first cells that fight infectin in the bdy. These cells may als be called "plymrphs" r "plys". Nrmal range: 2.0 7.5 bil/l 2003 University Health Netwrk. All rights reserved. Page 4 f 9
Electrlytes Electrlytes are things in the bld that break up int ins when disslved in water r bdy fluids. Ins are particles that carry an electrical charge. Ins help mve nutrients int cells, help mve waste ut f cells, and help nerves, muscles, the heart, and the brain, wrk the way they shuld. Yur dctr may rder an electrlyte cunt as well as a cmplete bld cunt. If yur dctr rders this test, yu may see sme r all f the fllwing parts n yur bld cunt sheet. Things that might be measured in yur electrlyte cunts are: calcium (Ca) creatine (Creat) magnesium (Mg) ptassium (K) sdium (Na) phsphate (PO4) Fr mre infrmatin abut yur electrlytes please read the descriptins belw. Calcium (Ca) Abut 99% f the bdy s calcium is in the bnes and teeth. The ther 1% is in the tissues and bld. Calcium helps with absrbing vitamins, muscle cntractins (flexing) and many ther functins in the bdy. Symptms f high calcium levels, which can als be called hypercalcemia, can be: having n appetite nausea r feeling sick t yur stmach vmiting (thrwing up) muscle weakness fatigue (being very tired) dehydratin cnstipatin (nt being able t have a bwel mvement) Symptms f lw calcium levels, als knwn as hypcalcemia can be: irregular heartbeat tingling f hands, tes and lips 2003 University Health Netwrk. All rights reserved. Page 5 f 9
irritability (feeling cranky) facial twitching Desired range: 2.20 2.62 mml/l Creatinine (Creat) Creatinine levels in the bld can be used t tell hw well yur kidneys are wrking. High creatinine levels may mean that there is a prblem with yur kidneys. Desired range: 64 110 µml/l Magnesium (Mg) Half f the bdy's magnesium is fund in the bnes. Magnesium is an imprtant part f muscle cntractins. Lw magnesium can cause the heart t beat in a way that is nt nrmal. Yur kidneys prduce magnesium s chrnic kidney prblems can lead t high magnesium levels. Symptms f high magnesium levels, which can als be called hypermagnesemia, are: decrease in muscle activity tiredness r weakness nausea r feeling sick t yur stmach vmiting (thrwing up) slurred speech Symptms f lw magnesium levels, als knwn as hypmagnesemia can be: having n appetite swelling f the abdmen invluntary muscle cntractins cnvulsins (twitching r shaking) irregular heart beat Desired range: 0.70 1.10 mml/l Ptassium (K) Ptassium is an imprtant mineral that helps yur heart beat regularly. Bld ptassium levels are very affected by the amunt f sdium (salt) in the bld. A diet high in salt causes mre sdium t be absrbed in the bld causing the ptassium in the bld t g dwn. 2003 University Health Netwrk. All rights reserved. Page 6 f 9
Symptms f high ptassium levels, als knwn as hyperkalemia, are irritability (feeling cranky) nausea r feeling sick t yur stmach vmiting (thrwing up) diarrhea irregular heart rate (uneven heart beat) Symptms f lw ptassium levels, which can be called hypkalemia, are weakness paralysis (if yu are suddenly nt able t mve yur arms r legs) irregular heart rate (heart racing r beating slwer than usual) Desired range: 3.5 5.0mml/L Sdium (Na) As the amunt f water in yur bdy ges up, the amunt f sdium in yur bld ges dwn. The bdy cnserves sdium by getting rid f water thrugh sweat and urine (pee). Symptms f lw sdium levels, which can be called hypnatremia, are weakness, cnfusin, lethargy (feeling very weak and nt wanting t d anything) Symptms f high sdium levels, which can be called hypernatremia, are thirst agitatin (feeling very cranky and upset) restlessness cnvulsins (twitching r shaking fr n apparent reasn) Desired range: 136 145mml/L Phsphate (PO4) Phsphrus (phsphate) helps keep yur bnes and teeth strng and is an imprtant part f hw yur bdy prduces energy. Symptms f high phsphate levels (hyperphsphatemia) are high heart rate (heart racing) heart palpitatins (uneven heart beats) restlessness 2003 University Health Netwrk. All rights reserved. Page 7 f 9
nausea r feeling sick t yur stmach vmiting (thrwing up) Symptms f lw phsphate levels (hypphsphatemia) are muscle weakness fatigue (feeling very tired) brittle bnes (bnes that break easily) bne pain cnfusin seizures Desired range: 08.0 1.40 mml/l Key Pints It is imprtant t tell a member f yur health care team if yu experience any f the fllwing: nausea and vmiting diarrhea, weakness cnfusin heart palpitatins (if yur heart beats are nt even) muscle twitching bruising spntaneus bleeding (bleeding fr n reasn) fever (abve 38 degrees) It is imprtant fr yu t learn hw t keep track f yur bld cunts, s that yu can understand yur health and hw well yu are ding during yur treatment. If yu have any questins regarding yur bld cunts, ask yur nurse, dctr, r nclgist. Nte: g/l, µml/l, mml/l, and bil/l are units f measurement fr each respective value. References All labratry values and drug interactins taken frm: Pagana, K.D. & Pagana, T.J. (2001). Msby's diagnstic and labratry test reference (6th ed.). 2003 University Health Netwrk. All rights reserved. Page 8 f 9
St. Luis, MI: Msby. University Health Netwrk Electrnic Patient Recrd Lab Values Ranges (2009). Black, J. M, Hawks, J. H. & Keene, A. M. (2001). Medical Surgical Nursing (6 th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders Cmpany. 2003 University Health Netwrk. All rights reserved. Page 9 f 9