Please read the clinical scenario, and then answer the question that follow to become familiar with the traditional NCLEX question format.
The mother of 6-year-old Mary has brought her daughter into the pediatrician’s office where you work, complaining Mary has had a sore throat for several days and a fever. She has had a fever up to 104F that seems worse at night, but seems to respond to treatment with acetaminophen. Mary has not been eating or drinking as much either because she says “it hurts to swallow.” She is ill-appearing, and does not seem interested in playing with the toys or reading the books that are in the examination room. The doctor noted a thick, white exudate coating on both of Mary’s tonsils, which also seem enlarged. The doctor ordered a throat culture swab, as well as a complete blood count with differentials.
-The in-house lab performs the complete blood count with cell differential while Mary is still in the office.It shows an elevated white blood cell count,as well as an increase in neutrophils.What is this most likely a sign of?

Question

Please read the clinical scenario, and then answer the question that follow to become familiar with the traditional NCLEX question format.
  The mother of 6-year-old Mary has brought her daughter into the pediatrician’s office where you work, complaining Mary has had a sore throat for several days and a fever. She has had a fever up to 104F that seems worse at night, but seems to respond to treatment with acetaminophen. Mary has not been eating or drinking as much either because she says “it hurts to swallow.” She is ill-appearing, and does not seem interested in playing with the toys or reading the books that are in the examination room. The doctor noted a thick, white exudate coating on both of Mary’s tonsils, which also seem enlarged. The doctor ordered a throat culture swab, as well as a complete blood count with differentials.
-The in-house lab performs the complete blood count with cell differential while Mary is still in the office.It shows an elevated white blood cell count,as well as an increase in neutrophils.What is this most likely a sign of?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

An elevated white blood cell count with an increase in neutrophils is usually a sign of a bacterial infection. Neutrophils are the first responders to an infection and their primary function is to kill bacteria. A viral infection would typically result in an increase in lymphocytes. Tumor necrosis factor activation and interleukin-2 production are not directly related to the white blood cell count and would not be the most likely explanation for the findings in this case.

Please Read the Clinical Scenario, and Then Answer the Question