17 terms

NRBC's & Corrected WBC count; Retics & Corrected Retic count

reticulocytes are RBC's containing organelles that are lost with maturity
NRBC's are immature RBC's released prematurely from bone marrowin response to anemia
Describe the difference between nucleated red blood cells and reticulocytes. Which is more mature?
when NRBC's are found on the WBC differential. NRBC's are included in the WBC count because of their nucleus
When does a total WBC count need to be "corrected"? In these cases, why is the WBC count incorrect?
WBC Count x 100
NRBC's observed + 100
What is the equation for correcting a total WBC count?
horse. do not release retics
In what animal species is a reticulocyte count always invalid? Why?
proper numbers of retics indicates regenerative anemia
Why is it important to complete a reticulocyte count in anemic animals?
body is not working against the disease, not increasing blood cell production
What does a non-regenerative anemia indicate?
body is working against the disease by increasing hematopoietic activity in bone marrow
What does a regenerative anemia indicate?
aggregates or chains of blue granules
Describe the appearance of reticulocytes when stained with New Methylene Blue.
clumps organelles into visible granules
Why is New Methylene Blue (or brilliant Cresyl Blue) necessary in order to identify reticulocytes?
punctate: very little precipitate

aggregate: abundant precipitate
Describe the visible differences between the two types of feline reticulocytes.
aggregate. circulates less than 48 hours
Which type of feline reticulocyte is used to calculate the reticulocyte count? Why?
Which of the two types of feline reticulocytes do all other species have?
total RBC x observed reticulocyte count
What is the formula to convert from percent of reticulocytes noted to absolute numbers?
/ μL
How are reticulocyte counts recorded?
observed retic % x patient's PCV
mean PCV (for species)
How is the retic count corrected for the degree of anemia?
number of retics means nothing without knowing the number of RBC's
why is correcting the reticulocyte count for degree of anemia important?
(1) 2 drops of suprvital to 2 drops of blood
(2) wait 10-20 minutes
(3) make blood smear
(4) observe 1,000 RBC's under oil immersion
(5) divide by 10 for percent value
Describe the procedure to determine reticulocyte counts in blood.