[jgereda]

My daughter recently had blood drawn and I am trying to educate mykself as to how to decypgher it all.
The areas I do not know about are: absolute neutrophils, hematocrit, albumin, and tpmt genotype. Can anyone help me determine what these tests are and how I can tell if the result is alarming.
Thanks,
Julie Gereda

[J_9]

Wow, really good question!!

I will try to make it easy to understand, however for the layperson it is not quite that simple, so bear with me okay?

Neutrophils are the circulating white blood cells essential for phagocytosis and proteolysis by which bacteria, cellular debris and solid particles are removed from the body and/or destroyed. So, in essence, these cells fight infection. The number would be important to know to try and help you better.

Hematocrit is a measure of the packed cell volume of red blood cells. It is usually expressed in a percentage of the total blood volume. The normal range is between 43% and 49% in men, and between 37% and 43% in women. Ages vary also.

Albumin is a protein in our bodies. Various albumins (proteins) are found in practically all animal tissues and in many plant tissues. Determination of the levels and kinds of albumin in urine, blood, and other body tissues is the basis of a number of laboratory diagnostic tests. Albumin is the protein present in the highest concentration, it is the main transport protein in the body. Serum (blood) albumin values (levels) are affected by the process of synthesis, distribution, and degradation. Low levels may be the result of either inadequate production or excessive loss. Albumin levels are more useful as an indicator of chronic deficiency than of short-term deficiency.

TPMT Genotype is usually used if one is looking for certain serious illnesses. This is usually conducted when trying to rule out leukemia.

I hope I helped. You sure did ask a good question, and let me put my knowledge to the test.

[jgereda]

Thanks - information was really helpful although I now have part two of the questions/answers.
TPMT Genotype results were negative so this sounds like a good thing? Since my daughter (17) has had a tough two months with ulcerative colitis, her tests sound consistent with the loss of blood, weight loss, inability to keep food down (malnutrition) and anemia along with inflammation of intestines and some infection of the ulcers?
Thank God, she is better but am I generally correct in understanding that the symptoms are simply supported by the blood tests?
Red Blood cell count 3.24 (low)
Hemoglobin 8.4 (low)
Hematocrit 26.1 (low)
Platelet Count 844 (high)
RDW 18.0 (high)
Absolute Neutrophils 11012 (high)
C-Reactive Protein 2.93 (high)
Albumin 2.9 (low)

All others were listed in the "within range" column.

Julie

[IansPants]

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[KravJeff]

my chlorlestal is 274, should i be on a statin drug

Depends - need more info... Do you know the breakdown (HDL/LDL)? What about lifestyle - Do you smoke, excersize, etc.. How is your diet? Any family history of coronary artery disease? How old are you?

Medicine is rarely black and white - I find it analogous to putting a puzzle together that has numerous pieces. If you're sick, doctors do multiple tests to find out why - With the possible exception of a single broken bone, rarely is there a definitive diagnosis from one piece of information. This is why medicine is as much an art as it is a science. It is also why when there are typically numerous "defferential diagnoses" (multiple possibilities)especially early on in an illness.