Ace the Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) Challenge 2026 – Energize Your Nursing Future!

A common disorder related to decreased red blood cell production is anemia. This condition occurs when the body either produces insufficient amounts of red blood cells or when the existing red blood cells are destroyed faster than they can be produced. Anemia can arise from various causes, including deficiencies in iron, vitamin B12, or folate, bone marrow disorders, chronic diseases, or genetic conditions.

In this context, anemia is characterized by symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, pallor, and shortness of breath, which result from a reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood due to the lower-than-normal number of red blood cells.

Other disorders listed are related to different mechanisms: polycythemia involves an increased production of red blood cells; thrombocythemia pertains to elevated platelet counts; and hyperlipidemia is a condition marked by high levels of lipids in the blood. These conditions do not pertain to the decreased production of red blood cells, making anemia the correct response.