What factors are involved in the diagnosis of neutropenia?
neutropenia is a health condition in which the patient has unusually low levels of neutrophils that are a type of white blood cells. The basis of the diagnosis of neutropenia is to determine the number of neutrophils of a person that is performed by a blood test. Doctors will also have to determine the basic cause of the condition for complete diagnosis of neutropenia, which may require bone marrow aspiration. A typical number for a child will vary depending on its age. Adults with less than 500 neutrophils per microliter of blood have a serious case of neutropenia - these patients are likely to suffer from various bacterial infections, including the digestive tract infection, bacteria that normally exist throughout the body.
One of the factors in the diagnosis of neutropenia will be examined by the patient to signs of bacterial infection. Depending on where the infection is, the patient may have ulcers in the mouth along with swollen gums that can bleed. Fever is another common symptom of infection and those with lung infection can also have shortness of breath, cough and muscle pain.
To make an accurate diagnosis of neutropenia, the doctor draws a blood sample and sends it to the laboratory where the laboratory technician triggers the complete blood count (CBC) on the sample to check the neutrophil levels. Once the patient is diagnosed, the doctor will have to determine the cause of the condition. It can find that certain drugs cause a low number of neutrophils, and whenever possible, it advises the patient to stop taking these drugs or switch to different medicines.
In some cases, the physician may determine that the fault is the deficiencies of vitamin, rheumatoid arthritis or mononucleosis. Other possible causes of neutropenia include autoimune disorders, malaria and tuberculosis, as well as various parasitic diseases. Treatment of the basic cause usually solves a low number of neutrophils. Some people may not require any treatment if there are symptoms that are experiencing mild.
If the cause of the state cannot be determined by other means,The physician may order the aspiration of the bone marrow for complete diagnosis of neutropenia. First, it will sterilize the skin through the pelvis or bones of the breast and apply a local anesthetic to duplicate the area. The needle will be inserted into the bone and the bone marrow sample will be inserted into the tube. The laboratory technician then examines the sample to diagnose neutropenia.