A 20-year-old male has blood drawn as part of his physical to play football. He tells the physician he has had a cough and sore throat for the last three weeks. In the hematology laboratory, the hematologist runs the blood sample and the results show severe anemia. To ensure the result is accurate, she warms the blood for 10 minutes and retests it. This time the red blood cell count is within the normal range. This type of reaction may be seen after infection with

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The reaction described is indicative of cold agglutinins, which are antibodies that cause red blood cells to agglutinate at low temperatures. This condition can be transiently seen after infections, particularly with Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which is known to cause cold agglutinin disease.

A 20-Year-Old Male Has Blood Drawn as Part of His