A decrease in red blood cells, hemoglobin, and/or hematocrit is known as what?

A decrease in red blood cells, hemoglobin, and/or hematocrit is known as what?

• A. Hemophilia
• B. Polycythemia
• C. Thrombocytopenia
• D. Anemia

Answer: (D)

A decrease in red blood cells, hemoglobin, or hematocrit signals anemia, a condition in which the blood’s ability to carry oxygen is reduced. Hemoglobin is the protein that binds oxygen, and hematocrit is the percentage of blood volume made up of red blood cells; when these are down, tissues may not receive enough oxygen, leading to symptoms like fatigue, pallor, and shortness of breath. Anemia can arise from not making enough red cells, losing them through bleeding, or destroying them more quickly than they can be produced. The other terms describe different problems: a bleeding/clotting disorder, which affects how the blood clots; an excess of red blood cells, which would raise hematocrit; and a low platelet count, which mainly affects clotting rather than oxygen transport.

A decrease in red blood cells, hemoglobin, or hematocrit signals anemia, a condition in which the blood’s ability to carry oxygen is reduced. Hemoglobin is the protein that binds oxygen, and hematocrit is the percentage of blood volume made up of red blood cells; when these are down, tissues may not receive enough oxygen, leading to symptoms like fatigue, pallor, and shortness of breath. Anemia can arise from not making enough red cells, losing them through bleeding, or destroying them more quickly than they can be produced.

The other terms describe different problems: a bleeding/clotting disorder, which affects how the blood clots; an excess of red blood cells, which would raise hematocrit; and a low platelet count, which mainly affects clotting rather than oxygen transport.