Aplastic anaemia is characterised by one of the following:

Appeared in: IGNOU PB Bsc Entrance-2022

Explanation

Aplastic anemia is a condition of bone marrow failure, where the marrow is unable to produce sufficient numbers of new blood cells.
The hallmark of aplastic anemia is pancytopenia, which is a deficiency of all three major blood cell lines.
This includes a reduction in red blood cells (causing anemia), white blood cells (causing leukopenia/neutropenia), and platelets (causing thrombocytopenia).

Option A: This option is incomplete. While anemia (reduced RBCs) is a feature, aplastic anemia affects all cell lines, not just red blood cells.
Option B: This option is incomplete. Leukopenia (reduced WBCs) is only one component of the pancytopenia seen in aplastic anemia.
Option C: This option is incomplete. It omits the reduction in red blood cells (anemia), which is a critical component of the diagnosis.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Pathophysiology and characteristics of Aplastic Anemia as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Recognizing the signs of pancytopenia (fatigue from anemia, frequent infections from neutropenia, easy bruising/bleeding from thrombocytopenia) is crucial for early diagnosis and intervention in aplastic anemia.
Nursing care for patients with aplastic anemia prioritizes infection control (neutropenic precautions) and bleeding prevention (thrombocytopenic precautions) to manage life-threatening complications.
What if? If a patient presented with only a severe reduction in neutrophils after starting a new drug, the diagnosis would more likely be drug-induced agranulocytosis rather than aplastic anemia, and the primary treatment would be stopping the offending drug.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core term in the question: 'Aplastic anaemia'.
Recall the definition of aplastic anemia. The term 'aplastic' refers to the failure of tissue to function normally. In this context, it means the bone marrow is failing.
Remember that this bone marrow failure is global, affecting all cell lines it produces. This condition is called pancytopenia.
Evaluate the options to see which one describes a reduction in all three cell types: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
Select the most comprehensive option that aligns with the definition of pancytopenia, the hallmark of aplastic anemia.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Q5Ph3VbKSfZDeW6xhwvEPr

E6 Pathology- ROBBINS & COTRAN PATHOLOGIC BASIS OF DISEASE 10TH Ed p. 663-665

E6 Nursing Brunner Adult Health 3SA Vol 1 Part 3 p. 136-138

Practise the full IGNOU PB Bsc Entrance-2022

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.