Chapter 10, Problem 34CT

Summary Introduction

Case summary:

A healthy young female named Brittany undergoes a battery of tests in the physical round for the new job. Red blood cells of this female were at a higher side of the normal range during that time however, after four weeks this count got increased substantially.

Characters in the case:

Brittany who is a healthy young woman.

Adequate information:

She gave up smoking recently.

To determine:

The rationale behind an increase in the red blood corpuscles (RBC) count during smoking.

Given information:

In the given case, B. went through a physical examination prior to joining a new job. Her blood test reports showed an elevated level of RBCs. After a few weeks, her RBC count increased. She reported that she had started smoking, which could have elevated her RBC count.

Introduction:

The tobacco content in the smoke consists of nicotine, CO₂ (carbon dioxide), tar, smoke, and other particles. When this smoke is inhaled, it diffuses through the lungs and enters the bloodstream.