Case Study 1

Blood, Lymphatic, and Immune Systems – Case Study 1: The Case of the Feverish Toddler

Directions: Below is a case study presentation of a patient with a condition covered by this chapter. Read the case study and answer the questions below. Some questions will ask for information not included within this chapter. Use your text, a medical dictionary, or any other reference material you choose to answer these questions. 

A 2-year-old girl, “Evie”, is being seen by a hematologist. The child’s symptoms include the sudden onset of high fevers, thrombocytopenia, epistaxis, gingival bleeding, petechiae, and ecchymoses after minor traumas. The physician has ordered a bone marrow aspiration to confirm the clinical diagnosis of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). If the diagnosis is positive, the child will be placed immediately on intensive chemotherapy. The physician has informed the parents that treatment produces remission in 90% of children with ALL, especially those between the ages of 2 and 8.

Directions: Choose the attached file (CaseStudy_01.docx) and read the case information about “Evie.” Respond to the prompts at the bottom of the case study using full sentences and proper spelling/ grammar

Respond to the following prompts about this case:

1. Define the bold terms in the text. (5 points)

2. What pathological condition does the hematologist suspect? Look this condition up in a reference source and include a short description of it. (3 points)

3. What diagnostic test did the physician perform? Describe it in your own words. (3 points)

4. Explain the phrase “clinical diagnosis” in our own words. (3 points)

5. If the suspected diagnosis is correct, explain the treatment that will begin. (3 points)

6. What do you think the term remission means? (3 points)