Physiological Adaptation Q 81
A leukemia patient has a relative who wants to donate blood for transfusion. Which of the following donor medical conditions would prevent this?
A. A history of hepatitis C five years previously.
B. Cholecystitis requiring cholecystectomy one year previously.
C. Asymptomatic diverticulosis.
D. Crohn's disease in remission.
Correct Answer: A. A history of hepatitis C five years previously.
Hepatitis C is a viral infection transmitted through bodily fluids, such as blood, causing inflammation of the liver. Patients with hepatitis C may not donate blood for transfusion due to the high risk of infection in the recipient. Transmission can be parenteral, perinatal, and sexual, with the most common mode being the sharing of contaminated needles among IV drug users. Also, other high-risk groups include people who require frequent blood transfusions and organ transplantation of organs from infected donors.
Option B: Cholecystitis is inflammation of the gallbladder that occurs most commonly because of an obstruction of the cystic duct by gallstones arising from the gallbladder (cholelithiasis). Ninety percent of cases of cholecystitis involve stones in the gallbladder (ie, calculous cholecystitis), with the other 10% of cases representing acalculous cholecystitis.
Option C: Diverticular disease (diverticulosis, diverticulitis) is a general term that refers to the presence of diverticula, small pouches in the large intestinal (colonic) wall. The cause of diverticulosis is unclear, but it has been associated with increased pressure from constipation or increasing abdominal girth in obesity. The classic high-fat and low-fiber diet of the Western culture may be a major contributor to the development of diverticulosis.
Option D: Crohn’s disease is an idiopathic, chronic inflammatory process that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus. Crohn’s disease is believed to be the result of an imbalance between proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediators. Although genetic susceptibility, luminal antigenic drive, and environmental triggers are also important factors, animal models demonstrate that no single factor is sufficient to induce intestinal inflammation.