POLYCYTHEMIA

Course overview

POLYCYTHEMIA, ALSO CALLED ERYTHROCYTOSIS, REFERS TO INCREASED RED BLOOD CELL MASS, NOTED ON LABORATORY EVALUATION AS INCREASED HEMOGLOBIN AND HEMATOCRIT LEVELS. POLYCYTHEMIA VERA IS A SUBTYPE OF POLYCYTHEMIA AND CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE OVERPRODUCTION OF MORE THAN JUST THE ERYTHROCYTIC LINEAGE. THE CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF ERYTHROCYTOSIS, DUE TO ANY CAUSE, IS RELATED TO THE ASSOCIATED RISK OF THROMBOTIC EVENTS DUE TO HYPERVISCOSITY OF BLOOD. ADDITIONALLY, IN CASES OF POLYCYTHEMIA VERA, THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR PROGRESSION TO LEUKEMIA. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION, TREATMENT, AND POTENTIAL COMPLICATIONS OF POLYCYTHEMIA VERA AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN IDENTIFYING AND TREATING THIS CONDITION.