Hematocrit levels after blood donation

Question

After blood donation, plasma levels return within normal levels within a couple of days. Red blood cells take approximately ~2 weeks to return to their normal levels. If an XY subject donates blood, his hematocrit will be __ 45% immediately after blood donation. ___ 45% 5 days after blood donation. __ 45% 8 weeks after blood donation.

a. It will begin mitosis at a very high dose of the “poke” hormone.
b. It will first undergo mitosis but stop at the 2 cell stage, with a normal dose of the “poke” hormone.
c. It will not undergo mitosis even at a very high dose of the “poke” hormone.
d. It will undergo mitosis forever with a normal dose of the “poke” hormone.

Answer 1

The answer to this question is far from linear, as the provided answers suggest. Typical blood volume varies between individuals, And also by Sex, Weight and Age, to name the most common. However, disease states and pre-existing Co-morbidities will factor as well. Since erythrocytes are formed by erythropoiethesis, Chronic Renal Disease may alter the normal process, as Acute may. Hydration status may ‘relatively’ affect Hematocrit and/or Hemoglobin levels.

Critical to clinical implications, providers administrating Blood Products, in this case, PRBCs, or Packed Red Blood Cells, know a typical unit with contain approximately 325 to 350 ccs, be infused no more than 4 hours per unit, be monitored for anaphylaxis the first 15 minutes and that Hematocrit increases by approximately 3%.