Question
My 9-year-old child’s white blood cell count is 30, no fever, but with severe coughing and respiratory rales. After several days of home intravenous fluid therapy, there was no improvement. We went to the hospital yesterday, and the doctor recommended hospitalization.
Answer
An elevated white blood cell count is often due to inflammation in a specific area of the body, which triggers the body’s self-protection mechanism to increase white blood cells to engulf harmful bacteria. This principle is used in medical diagnostics to verify if there is inflammation or injury in the body. Some diseases that may cause an increase in white blood cells include chronic myeloid leukemia, polycythemia vera, and primary thrombocytosis. Reactive thrombocytosis is usually associated with acute or chronic inflammation, iron deficiency anemia, and cancer patients. In this case, the platelet count generally does not exceed 500×10^9/L and will quickly return to normal levels after treatment. It is recommended to consult a doctor for specific treatment methods and precautions.