Final answer:
In acute myelogenous leukemia, there is typically impaired production of erythrocytes due to the overproduction of myeloblasts. Blasts, not bands, are elevated in leukemia, while bands are elevated in infection. Both blasts and bands are types of white blood cells, with blasts being immature cells and bands being immature neutrophils.
Step-by-step explanation:
Regarding a patient with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), which is a type of cancer that originates in the bone marrow and typically involves the overproduction of myeloblasts, you would expect an impaired production of erythrocytes, or red blood cells. Since AML involves the myeloid line of leukocytes, which are responsible for the production of not just leukocytes but also erythrocytes and platelets, the disease can impede the bone marrow's ability to produce healthy erythrocytes. Consequently, impaired production of erythrocytes is a common problem in patients with AML, leading to symptoms such as fatigue and anemia.
On the contrary, a relative increase in blasts, specifically myeloblasts, is a hallmark of acute forms of leukemia. In infections, it's more common to see an increase in bands, which are immature neutrophils, and their presence often indicates a state called bandemia, related to the body's attempt to fight off an infection. In leukemia, particularly acute leukemia, you typically see an abnormal proliferation of blasts, which are immature white blood cells, and these blast cells do not function properly to fight infections.