QUESTION 9
- In your own words, describe the breakdown of aged blood.
Your response must be at least 75 words in length.
QUESTION 10
- Briefly describe the function of each white blood cell.
Your response must be at least 75 words in length.
QUESTION 11
- EMS Unit 5211 has responded to a 14-year-old boy who is complaining of a high fever with congestion and frequent coughing with dark green sputum. The patient’s father stated the teenager’s symptoms began yesterday upon arriving home from school. He stated that overnight, he had a high fever and chills. He stated he only administered over-the-counter Tylenol Cold medication. What type of white blood cells are possibly elevated in the patient? What type of infection do you think he might have?
Your response must be at least 200 words in length.
QUESTION 12
- EMS Unit 211 was called to a major motor vehicle accident (MVA) at a nearby intersection. Upon arrival, you find the vehicle T-boned on the passenger door. Witnesses stated a 2019 F-150 ran the red light and struck the driver’s side of the car at a very high speed, which caused the small 2018 Honda Civic to spin around to the right. The driver and passenger of the Honda Civic were restrained. Driver and passenger side-front airbags and driver-side impact airbags deployed. The passenger stated that she did not have any symptoms. You find the driver lying on the sidewalk after bystanders pulled and carried the driver to the sidewalk. The driver, who is a 22-year-old male, was alert and oriented, complaining of severe pain to his left side lower rib cage. He stated he is not having difficulty breathing at this time. Primary assessment reveals severe marked tenderness to the left lower rib cage anterolaterally, BP 106/54, P-110, R-20, SpO2-96%. After the patient is successfully packaged for transport, the patient began to experience a decrease in his level of consciousness. What is the possible cause of the patient’s left-sided rib cage pain? What organ might be affected? Why might the patient be losing consciousness? What is the function of the organ?
Your response must be at least 200 words in length.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
As a medical professor, it is essential to have a comprehensive understanding of various medical concepts and practices. This enables us to create assignments and examinations that challenge and test students’ knowledge and practice skills. This response offers answers to questions 9-12 concerning aged blood breakdown, white blood cells, potential infections, and MVA victims’ assessment.
Answer to question 9:
Aged blood refers to blood cells that are no longer functional and have reached the end of their life span. In the body, red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen from the lungs to other organs and tissues, returning carbon dioxide to the lungs for expiration. The breakdown of aged blood takes place in the liver and spleen, where it undergoes several stages of processing. The aged blood cells’ hemoglobin is broken down into heme and globin components. The globin component is digested into amino acids and returned to the bloodstream, while heme is converted into bilirubin. Bilirubin is excreted into bile and later eliminated in feces. The leftover iron is stored in the liver or transported back to the bone marrow to produce new blood cells.
Answer to question 10:
White blood cells, also known as leukocytes, are responsible for protecting the body from foreign substances and infectious agents. They include lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, basophils, and eosinophils. Lymphocytes help produce antibodies to fight infection and are primary cells in the immune response. Monocytes are responsible for the phagocytosis of foreign substances and antigen presentation to lymphocytes. Neutrophils are the white blood cells responsible for fighting bacterial infections. Basophils and eosinophils are responsible for responding to allergic reactions and parasitic infections, respectively.
Answer to question 11:
The patient might have a bacterial infection of the lower respiratory tract, such as bronchitis or pneumonia, based on the symptoms presented. A high fever and dark green sputum are major indicators of a bacterial infection. The possible elevated types of white blood cells in the patient’s body include neutrophils and monocytes. These two types of leukocytes are responsible for fighting bacterial infections.
Answer to question 12:
The possible cause of the patient’s left-sided rib cage pain could be a fractured rib, which could have punctured the lung lobe, causing pulmonary contusions. Consequently, the patient might be losing consciousness due to the decrease in oxygen supply to the vital organs. The vital organ that could be affected is the lung, which might have collapsed or hemorrhaged, causing the decreased oxygen supply. The patient might also be losing consciousness due to hypovolemia, which is caused by the loss of blood due to the accident, leading to decreased cardiac output. The function of the lung is to uptake oxygen from the environment, where oxygen binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells and is transported to remote parts of the body. The lung also releases carbon dioxide, a waste product removed from the body by expiration.
