Haematology

Question 1

What are profile tests?

Answer 1

Haematology profile tests are a full blood count (FBC), which are used to examine the components of blood, including red blood cells (haemoglobin), white blood cells (basophils, eosinophils, monocytes and lymphocytes), platelets and plasma. To do this, specialised equipment is used in the clinical laboratory and systems are often highly automated.

Question 2

Whats the purpose of profile tests?

Answer 2

-Used to assess components of blood (such as red blood cells or white blood cells) to detect any abnormalities such as increases and decreases in cell count which indicate that there’s a problem such as a disease or infection.
-For example, these could be used to detect and diagnose inflammation and infection, bleeding and clotting disorders, and anaemia.
-There are ranges for clinical markers that are used, which means people above or below the ranges may have an infection.
-They may also be used to look at a person’s overall health, check on existing/known medical conditions, and monitor treatment.

Question 3

Method?

Answer 3

1. Carry out a blood test
2. Measure the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets per millilitre of blood.
3. Measure the size of red blood cells and calculate their mean size.
4. Calculate the proportion of blood made up from red blood cells (the haematocrit), the amount of haemoglobin in red blood cells.
5. Carry out a differential test on white blood cells to assess the body’s ability to respond to infection.
6. Platelet numbers can be determined by automated machine as a measure of the body’s clotting ability.
7. This can be done by placing a blood sample into a specialised machine.

Question 4

What are some limitations of haematology profile tests?

Answer 4

Haematoma can occur, which is a build-up of blood underneath the skin, which forms a lump, causing pain.

· Excessive bleeding can occur depending on the number of attempts/tests have to be taken and how deep the needle goes. This can make taking multiple blood tests difficult.

· Viruses such as HIV can be spread if the needle used was not sterilized before use or was already used on another patient.

· Results can be inaccurate if the machine used is not calibrated correctly or is faulty. This can also occur if the test is done manually using a hemacytometer as mistakes can occur due to human error which may occur due to somebodies’ mood.

· Erroneous counts can occur if the blood sample was taken from a patient’s vein using a needle, as this can cause platelets to clot, making platelet count appear to be lower than it actually is, which means results are inaccurate

· Haemolysis (the breakdown of red blood cells) can occur if the needle size is incorrect, tubes weren’t mixed correctly, and if the sample was difficult to take, causing red blood cell count to appear lower than it actually is, causing it to be inaccurate and incorrect.