Certified Pediatric Hematology Oncology Nurse (CPHON) 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

In an aplastic crisis, the bone marrow fails to produce adequate numbers of blood cells, which leads to significant declines in various blood components. Decreased hemoglobin levels are a direct consequence of this reduced production, resulting in anemia. The most critical finding during this condition is the extremely low reticulocyte count.

Reticulocytes are immature red blood cells, and their low count indicates that the bone marrow is not responding adequately to the anemia by producing more red blood cells. Normally, when there is a drop in hemoglobin due to a crisis, one would expect the body to ramp up production of reticulocytes; however, in aplastic crisis, the marrow's inability to produce cells means there will be an insufficient reticulocyte response, reflecting the severity of the underlying issue.

This combination of findings—low hemoglobin and low reticulocyte count—effectively characterizes the hematological profile seen in an aplastic crisis, confirming the correctness of this choice. Observations such as elevated platelet count and low white blood cell count, normal hemoglobin levels with increased reticulocyte count, or high hemoglobin and high reticulocyte count do not accurately represent the typical presentation during this critical condition, as each indicates a different underlying mechanism or pathology