If a patient has high white blood cell counts, what condition may they be experiencing?

High white blood cell counts, or leukocytosis, generally indicate an increased response of the immune system, often in reaction to infection, inflammation, stress, or other diseases. A common cause of leukocytosis is a bacterial infection, where the body produces more white blood cells to fight off invading pathogens. In this scenario, the elevated white blood cell count suggests that the body is actively responding to some form of stress or infection, which is critical information for diagnosis and treatment planning.

Anemia refers to a low red blood cell count, which does not correlate with increased white blood cell counts. Leukopenia, on the other hand, represents a decrease in white blood cells, which is the opposite of what is being presented. Polycythemia involves an increase in red blood cells, and does not result in elevated white blood cell counts either.

Thus, the presence of high white blood cell counts, particularly in the context of a bacterial infection, highlights the body's immune response and suggests the possibility of leukocytosis or an ongoing infection, making the provided answer accurate.