A patient shows prolonged prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time. Blood test otherwise is normal. Which of the following is the most probably diagnosis for this patient's condition?

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: Vitamin K deficiency. Prolonged prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time indicate impaired blood clotting, which is a characteristic of Vitamin K deficiency. Vitamin K is essential for the synthesis of clotting factors II, VII, IX, and X. Hemophilia A (Choice A) is a genetic disorder resulting in a deficiency of clotting factor VIII, leading to prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time only. Thrombocytopenia (Choice B) is a condition characterized by low platelet count, which can lead to bleeding but does not affect clotting factors. Von Willebrand disease (Choice C) is a genetic disorder affecting von Willebrand factor and platelet function, not clotting factors.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Step-by-step rationale for why D is correct: 1. Koilonychias is characterized by spoon-shaped nails, a common symptom of iron deficiency anemia due to decreased hemoglobin levels. 2. Iron is essential for normal nail growth, and its deficiency can lead to changes in nail shape. 3. Hemolytic anemia (A) is characterized by the premature destruction of red blood cells, not typically associated with koilonychias. 4. Sickle cell disease (B) causes abnormal hemoglobin, leading to sickle-shaped red blood cells, not related to koilonychias. 5. Thalassemia major (C) is a genetic disorder affecting hemoglobin production, but it does not directly cause koilonychias.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Irradiating the blood components before transfusion. Graft versus host disease occurs when donor immune cells attack the recipient's tissues. Irradiating blood components helps to eliminate donor T cells, reducing the risk of this complication. Choice A (Transfusion of packed cells) does not address the issue of donor T cells. Choice C (Transfusing fresh whole blood) may actually increase the risk as it contains more viable donor immune cells. Choice D (Replacement by crystalloids) is not a suitable alternative for blood transfusion.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Step-by-step rationale: 1. Increased neutrophils, band cells, basophils, and platelets suggest myeloproliferative disorder. 2. Presence of eosinophils indicates a chronic phase as seen in chronic myelocytic leukemia. 3. Chronic myelocytic leukemia commonly presents with increased granulocytes and platelets. Summary: - A: Acute myeloid leukemia is characterized by blast cells, not mature granulocytes. - B: Acute lymphoid leukemia primarily affects lymphocytes, not myeloid cells. - D: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia involves lymphocytes, not myeloid cells like in the given case.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: Rapid schizonticidal activity. Artemisinin and its derivatives target the asexual stage of the malaria parasite's life cycle, specifically the schizont stage. By quickly destroying the schizonts, they effectively kill the parasites in the blood, leading to a rapid reduction in parasite load and alleviating symptoms. The other choices are incorrect because A (Rapid gametocidal activity) targets sexual stage parasites, B (Ability to prevent further development of hypnozoites) refers to relapse prevention in Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale infections, and C (Rapid sporontocidal activity) targets the mosquito stage of the parasite's life cycle.