A couple has recently come back from honeymooning in Costa R…

A couple has recently come back from honeymooning in Costa Rica.  They are feeling under the weather, but attributed it to the change in climate.  The husband has now developed a fever that seems to spike in the morning and evenings after dinner.  During his fever episodes, he is suffering from chills and generalized aches all over his body.  Which of the following tests would best confirm this picture?

A 25 year old man of Filipino descent was evaluated because…

A 25 year old man of Filipino descent was evaluated because he was found to be anemic when he attempted to donate blood.  He otherwise had no complaints.  He stated that he is active in sports and feels healthy.  A CBC gave the following results: TEST RESULT REFERENCE RANGE RBC 5.76 x 106/ul 4.5-5.50 X 10^6/ul WBC 3.8 x 103/ul 4-10 x 10^3/ul HGB 10.4 g/dl 13-15 g/dl HCT 35.9 % 35-47% MCV 62 fl 80-100 fl MCH 18.1 pg 27-31 pg MCHC 29 % 32-36% RDW 13.5

A 31 year old female with a history of menorrhagia (heavy me…

A 31 year old female with a history of menorrhagia (heavy menstrual flow) and frequent GI bleeds (both internal and external) is complaining to her primary care physician of extreme fatigue.  Physical exam reveals a young woman of average height and weight with skin pallor and an absence of palpable organ enlargement.  The physician orders a CBC and the data is below:   TEST RESULT REFERENCE RANGE WBC count 8.0 x 10^3/ul 4-10 X 10^3/ul RBC count 3.25 x 10^6/ul 4.5-5.5 x 10^6/ul Hemoglobin 8.2 g/dl 13-15 g/dl Hematocrit 24.4% 35-45% MCV 75 fl 82-96 fl MCH 25 pg 27-31 pg MCHC 31% 32-36% PLT 495,000/ul 150-450 x 10^3/ul Differential Nothing significant found Nothing significant The peripheral blood smear on this patient is below.