An 85-year-old woman has a hemoglobin of 10.5 g/dL. This is: ...

[joesmith1212]

An 85-year-old woman has a hemoglobin of 10.5 g/dL. This is:
 
  a. High for a woman of this age
  b. Normal for this age regardless of sex (i.e., for both male and female patients)
  c. A sign of an underlying disease and requires further evaluation
  d. Most likely a myelophthisic anemia

Question 2

At what age is it normal for bone marrow cellularity to be 80 to 90 (i.e., has very little fat)?
 
  a. At birth
  b. In an 8 year old
  c. In a 20 to 40 year old
  d. In those older than 70 years

[kusterl]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: C
The majority of geriatric individuals maintain a normal hemoglobin for their sex so that this hemoglobin of 10.5 g/dL in an 85-year-old woman is low and a sign of an underlying disease. This requires further work-up. Most anemias in older adults are iron deficiency or the anemia of chronic inflammation (disease). Myelophthisic anemia, in which the bone marrow is invaded by something foreign, such as metastatic malignant cells, certainly occurs but is not the most common cause of anemia in older adults.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: A
At the time of birth, the bone marrow is fully active and extremely cellular with very little fat. It contains all hematopoietic cell lineages.

[joesmith1212]

Thanks for the timely response, appreciate it

[jordangronback]

Great answer, keep it coming