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Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - ? about packed cell volume test
| This is the one they run thru the centrifuge. Is this the standard test for frequent testing to see where the anemia levels are? And how does it work. I read something that see if the anemia is low it will be bright ornage instead of off-white, I thought this was for showing jaundice. Wylies color is a pale yellow, then how do they get a reading for instance, hers of .32 Thanks Laurie |
| Laurie CA |
| You might find this of interest re PCV http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=0&cat=1474&articleid=987 "Hematocrit: In the CBC, we determine the number of RBC’s in several different ways. The quickest and easiest is called the hematocrit, also referred to as the packed cell volume (PCV). A blood sample is placed in a tiny glass tube and spun in a centrifuge... Tricia |
| Tricia UK |
| Laurie, The two tests run most often when dealing with AIHA/IMHA are the CBC (complete blood test which measures the PCV/hematocrit and other elements of the blood) and the PCV. You can learn more about this testing process at this Web site: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?articleid=987 As to the colors you mentioned one may see an orange stool or urine when the PCV is very low. The gums and inside of the ears may be white. The yellowing can be from jaundice which is as a result of a build up of bilirubin, one of the breakdown products of hemoglobin. |
| Joanne MN |
| Tricia, I see we posted the same URL at almost the same time. Just as a side note, when I toured the U of MN school of veterinary medicine a couple of years ago, I got to see the equipment used for the PCV and CBC testing. I was also given a couple of the small tubes Tricia referred to in her post and they are indeed very small. |
| Joanne MN |
| I love this website: http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_imha.html They have an excellent step by step explanation of most of what happens in the diagnostics and treatment of IMHA. I mention that here because there is a wonderful picture of a tech holding the tube you speak of against the chart so as to read the pcv. It's also a good time for me to remind everyone here of the importance of a good blood draw and the manner in which the sample is cared for. It is best if your dog is fasted for at 8-10 hours before a blood test (more important for a chemical screen) if feasible. The blood draw should be done with as little stress as possible by a qualified tech. If you can calm your dog, by all means ask nicely if you may be with your dog when they take the blood draw. A good clinic will often appreciate the help of the owner. The sample should be handled quickly to the automated blood analyzer or prepared for packaging if sent out. Blood that hangs around too long will clot and the sample will not be an accurate representation. Sometimes if the blood draw is difficult, cells can be damaged by the syringe and that will also skew the results. There can be significant differences between the automated analyzer results for hematocrit hct and a hand spun pcv packed cell volume. How do I know this? Because I was at the specialist Monday for a "nearly" 1 year checkup. He expressed a little concern over what seemed to be a slow downward drift in Chance's hematocrit after looking over the last couple of months cbc's from my local clinic. He asked to do a full anemia panel and told me he would call me later in the evening. When he did call, he gave me a number that was fully 6 points higher than what the automated analyzer gives at my local clinic. He said he was very satisfied with the results and there was no downward drift, the problem is the calibration of the machine at my clinic. Something I had known all along. Always ask for a separate pcv to be spun each time a full cbc is done. If your dog is on high doses of prednisone the body tissues begin to act very dehydrated and the tech can have a very hard time getting a vein to "pop" up so that they can insert the syringe. If you can pull the skin at the back of the neck up and it takes a long time to return to it's normal position, your dog has this water shifting problem. These blood draws are very difficult and it takes a well trained tech to do this. Patrice |
| Patrice NYS |
| Thanks Patrice for posting the link to the Marvistavet IMHA site. That is a great site. I have a link to that site on the first page of the Meisha’s Hope Web site in the links section. Marvistavet does great work and I use their links to medications on my treatment page as well. I just recalled that I did post some photos online of my visit to the U of MN Veterinary Medical Center. These photos are still online at http://www.geocities.com/meishamargo/uofmn.html Some of the photos are just of my husband and myself with Dr. Patricia Olson, the President/CEO of Morris Animal Foundation and Dr. Klausner the then Dean of the Veterinary College at the U of MN. However the ones some of you might be interested in seeing are Hematology lab CBC machine used for running CBC’s Centrifuge, used for running PCV Hematocrit tube, that holds the blood in the centrifuge while the PCV is being run (just noticed I spelled hematocrit incorrectly on that page) Clay card that is used to seal the blood in the hematocrit tube |
| Joanne MN |
| Joanne, Very cool! It looks so similar to my vet's clinic. What a good idea, get a tour of the back room. My vets let me wander back, within reason, when we are there. I asked to be allowed to watch Cassie's spay surgery and Chance's operation to remove his mass. They let me look through the microscope at Chance's blood smear and watch the automated analyzer work. A vet will sometimes allow something like this. What they told me is that some owners cannot handle the sight of blood or the fact that it is their dog open on the table. They might become too emotional. I oddly felt quite calm the whole time, better than if I had been sitting out in the waiting room. patrice |
| Patrice NYS |
This thread was discussed between 23/04/2008 and 24/04/2008
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