A 20-year-old man presents to the emergency department with a 2-week history of diarrhea after a trip out of the country. He is admitted to the hospital for dehydration. His stool specimen is positive for parasitic eggs. Which type of white blood cells would be elevated?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Parasitic infections often result in an elevated number of eosinophils in the blood. This is because eosinophils play a role in the immune response to parasitic infections. Neutrophils may also be elevated in response to bacterial infections, but the fact that the stool specimen is positive for parasitic eggs suggests a parasitic infection is the cause of the diarrhea. T and B lymphocytes may also be involved in the immune response to parasites, but eosinophils are the most likely to be elevated. Monocytes are not typically elevated in response to parasitic infections.

A 20-Year-Old Man Presents to the Emergency Department with a 2-Week