Final answer:
Dehydration can lead to an artificially high packed cell volume by reducing the plasma volume, which increases the concentration of red blood cells in the blood. (option 4)
Step-by-step explanation:
The condition that can result in an artificially high packed cell volume is dehydration. When a person becomes dehydrated, the plasma volume decreases due to inadequate intake of water or excessive water loss. As plasma volume falls, the hematocrit, which is the volume percentage of erythrocytes in a sample of centrifuged blood, rises. This scenario can lead to an artificially increased packed cell volume, giving the appearance of polycythemia. However, the number of red blood cells does not change, only their concentration in the blood due to decreased plasma.