Haematology Flashcards
Blood is cells contained in liquid. What is this liquid?
Plasma
What is plasma composed of?
Water, proteins, nutrients and salts
What subsets are blood cells divided into?
Right, white and platelets
What further subsets are white blood cells divided into?
Granular and agranular
What are examples of granular WBC’s?
Neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils
What are examples of agranular WBC’s?
Monocytes and lymphocytes
What do RBC’s do?
Carry oxygen
Where are RBC’s produced?
Bone marrow
What do WBC’s do?
Respond to infection/inflammation
What do platelets do?
Prevent bleeding
Red blood cells don’t have a nucleus, what do they have instead?
Haemoglobin
What is haemoglobin?
An iron containing protein
What leads to a lack of haemoglobin?
Lack of iron
What do red blood cells need in order to mature?
Vitamin B12 and folate
What is used to measure RBC’s?
Haemoglobin
What does low haemoglobin give you?
Anaemia
What is microcytic anaemia and what causes it?
Iron deficiency- chronic blood loss
What is macrocytic anaemia?
B12/folate deficiency
What causes normocytic anaemia?
Acute blood loss
What can a rise in haemoglobin mean?
Hypoxia
What can cause an increase in neutrophils?
‘stress’ i.e. acute infection, trauma, infarction or inflammation
What can cause an increase in eosinophils?
Parasitic infections and hypersensitivity/allergic reactions
What can cause an increase in basophils?
Hypersensitivity/allergic reactions
What can cause an increase in monocytes?
Chronic infection, autoimmune problems or malignancy
What can cause an increase in lymphocytes?
Viral infection
What comes under the assessment of plasma?
Coagulation proteins and plasma viscosity
What can cause an increase in platelets?
Blood loss, iron deficiency, inflammation, malignancy
What can cause a decrease in platelets?
Drugs, acute blood loss, enlarged spleen
What are D-dimers?
A breakdown product of fibrin showing increased fibrin deposition
