https://stream.echo6.co/videos/watch/40490766-adf1-4ac9-a651-ed969a693255 Official Ninja Nerd Website: https://ninjanerd.org You can find the NOTES and ILLUSTRATIONS for this lecture on our website at: https://www.ninjanerd.org/lecture/cbc-approach-to-polycythemia Ninja Nerds! In this hematology lecture, Professor Zach Murphy walks you through interpreting the Complete Blood Count (CBC) in the context of polycythemia, guiding you through how to identify elevated red blood cell mass and differentiate its underlying causes. We begin by reviewing key CBC components—hemoglobin, hematocrit, and RBC count—and how persistent elevation in these values may indicate relative or absolute polycythemia. You’ll learn how to distinguish hemoconcentration from true erythrocytosis, and why evaluating plasma volume, oxygen saturation, and erythropoietin (EPO) levels is essential in the workup. The lecture outlines a clinical approach to polycythemia by classifying it into: • Relative polycythemia due to dehydration or volume contraction • Primary polycythemia (e.g., polycythemia vera) driven by clonal bone marrow proliferation • Secondary polycythemia from increased EPO, caused by chronic hypoxia, tumors, or exogenous sources We also discuss which follow-up tests to consider—including JAK2 mutation analysis, ABG, carboxyhemoglobin levels, and imaging to rule out EPO-secreting tumors. Enjoy the lecture and support us below! Table of Contents: 0:00 Lab 0:07 Approach to Polycythemia Introduction 1:00 Lifecycle of an RBC 8:56 Relative Erythrocytosis 13:30 Polycythemia Vera 15:31 Appropriate Absolute Increase in RBCs 21:27 Inappropriate Absolute Increase in RBCs 23:18 Polycythemia Case Studies 31:42 Comment, Like, SUBSCRIBE! 🌐 Official Links Website: https://www.ninjanerd.org Podcast: https://podcast.ninjanerd.org Store: https://merch.ninjanerd.org 📱 Social Media https://www.tiktok.com/@ninjanerdlectures https://www.instagram.com/ninjanerdlectures https://www.facebook.com/ninjanerdlectures https://x.com/ninjanerdsci/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/ninja-nerd/ 💬 Join Our Community Discord: https://discord.gg/3srTG4dngW #ninjanerd #CBC #polycythemia Mon, 13 Apr 2026 23:05:49 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://stream.echo6.co https://stream.echo6.co/client/assets/images/icons/icon-512x512.png https://stream.echo6.co/videos/watch/40490766-adf1-4ac9-a651-ed969a693255 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://stream.echo6.co/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.