An 82-year-old woman is brought in by ambulance in July after being found unconscious on the floor in her home by her adult son. Her home does not have air conditioning. Temperature is 105 F. She does not take any medications. She does not smoke or drink alcohol. Her diet mostly consists of salad, salmon, crackers, and licorice tea. A blood smear is shown.
Which of the following is the most likely explanation for these findings?
Erythroblast dysfunction
Impairment of DNA synthesis
Impairment of matrix metalloproteinase
Hypokalemia
Liver failure
