Children's white blood cell count is high

If you find that your child has high white blood cell count during the examination, you need to do further examination. If the high white blood cell count is caused by physiological reasons, there is no need to make a fuss. In fact, children may have high white blood cell count after strenuous exercise or eating a full meal. Pathological reasons should be actively treated. For example, viral infections, systemic infections and other diseases can cause this phenomenon.

High white blood cell count in children

1. Physiological factors

Many physiological factors can cause an increase in the total white blood cell count. For example: strenuous exercise; physical labor; long-term exposure to cold air in winter; a full meal or a shower often result in a slight increase in white blood cell count. Physiological increase in white blood cell count is also seen during menstruation, ovulation, emotional stress, hunger, hypoglycemia, etc. However, the physiological increase in white blood cell count is temporary and will quickly return to normal once the influencing factors are removed. It may be that when stimulated by various physiological factors, the secretion of catecholamines in the body increases, causing marginal leukocytes to enter the circulation.

2. Pathological factors

(1) Various infections: They may be local or systemic. Certain bacterial infections, especially staphylococcal, streptococcal, pneumococcal, meningococcal infections, etc.; certain viral infections, such as polio, measles, varicella virus, rabies virus infections, etc.; Rickettsia, Leptospira infections, syphilis, etc.; fungi, such as actinomycete infections, etc.

(2) Non-infectious inflammation: Rheumatic diseases such as rheumatic fever, rheumatoid arthritis, especially juvenile type, polyarteritis nodosa, dermatomyositis, vasculitis, etc., may increase the number of neutrophils, and are more likely to occur if combined with infection. Other inflammations such as nephritis, pancreatitis, colitis, thyroiditis, etc.

(3) Hematological diseases: Patients with chronic myeloproliferative diseases (chronic myeloid leukemia, polycythemia vera, idiopathic myeloid metaplasia, essential thrombocythemia), acute myeloid leukemia, acute myelomonocytic leukemia, multiple myeloma, etc. have a significant increase in white blood cells.

(4) Tissue necrosis: such as severe trauma, surgical trauma, burns, myocardial infarction, pulmonary infarction, acute pancreatitis, etc.

(5) Acute blood loss and hemolysis: Leukocytosis may be seen in cases of bleeding in the thoracic cavity, abdominal cavity, joint cavity, subarachnoid space, and intracranial cavity. The ectopic pregnancy ruptured, the liver and spleen ruptured, and the leukocytosis was also obvious. In case of massive acute hemolysis, the white blood cell count and neutrophil granulocytes may increase and even reach the level of leukocyte-like reaction.

(6) Malignant tumors: Gastric, lung, liver, pancreatic, breast, uterine, and kidney cancers often have an increase in neutrophils. Lymphoma, especially Hodgkin's lymphoma, may have neutrophilia or alkaliphilia.

(7) Metabolic disorders: such as thyroid crisis, diabetic acidosis, uremia, etc. can cause neutrophilia.

(8) Drugs and poisons: Some drugs such as adrenaline, catecholamines, glucocorticoids, lithium salts, etc.; mercury poisoning and organophosphorus in chemicals can also cause an increase in neutrophils.

Others: Neutrophilia occurs 12 to 36 hours after surgery, and its degree is proportional to the scope of surgery, blood loss, and degree of tissue damage.