Haematology

Question 1

What is haematology?

Answer 1

it involves the diagnosis and treatment of patients who have disorders of the blood and bone marrow, the disorders include haemophilia, leukaemia, lymphoma and sickle cell anaemia

Question 2

What is the use of a full blood count?

Answer 2

helps to diagnose anaemia, certain cancers of the blood, inflammatory disease and to monitor blood loss and infection

Question 3

What is the use of a platelet count?

Answer 3

to diagnose and/ or monitor certain types of bleeding and blood clotting disorders

Question 4

What does a full blood count involve?

Answer 4

• counting the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets per millilitre of blood
• calculating the mean size of red blood cells
• the amount of haemoglobin in red blood cells
• differential counts of the number and type of white blood cells (eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes and monocytes)