Haematology Flashcards
What are the formed elements of the blood?
Buffy coat=white cells + platelets
Red cells
What is plasma made up of?
Water
Proteins (immunoglobulins, albumin, clotting factors)
Nutrients, salt
What white cells are in the blood?
Neutrophils
Eosinophils
Basophils
Lymphocytes
Monocytes
Blood count
Changes in number
Blood film
Changes in appearance (morphology)
What is lower Hb suggestive of?
Anaemia
What measurement is a useful starting point to determine the cause of anaemia in a patient?
Mean Cellular Volume
Microcytic Anaemia
Smaller Cells Iron deficiency (eg chronic blood loss)
Macrocytic Anaemia
Larger Cells
Vitamin B12/folate deficiency (nuclear defects)
Alcohol excess, liver disease, hypothyroidism (membrane defect)
Normocytic Anaemia
Normal sized cells
Acute blood loss
Anaemia of chronic disease (eg inflammation, infection)
Why is anaemia of chronic disease common?
Iron supply to developing red cells
The proliferation of erythroid cells
The production of erythropoietin
The life span of red cells
Thrombocytosis
High platelet count
Caused by acute or chronic blood loss, inflammation or malignancies
Suffixes for high white cell numbers
“cytosis” or “philia”
e.g.basophilia, leucocytosis
Possible cause of neutrophilia
Steroid use
Thrombocytopenia
Low platelet count
Caused by liver disease, consumption or ‘trapping’ (enlarged spleen)
Additional information from blood film examination
Target cells in liver disease
Red cell fragments (valvular heart disease)
Laboratory assessment of components of plasma
Coagulation proteins (secondary haemostasis) Plasma viscosity
Haemostasis
The arrest of bleeding and maintenance of vascular patency
Components of haemostasis (4)
Permanent state of readiness
Prompt response
Localised response
Protection against unwanted thrombosis
Plasma analysis measures for
Formation of fibrin clot (secondary haemostasis)
Fibrinolysis
Anticoagulant defences
Coagulation Tests
Prothrombin time (PT)
Activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT)
Fibrinogen
What can cause a prolongation in coagulation times? (3)
Multiple coagulation factor deficiencies (liver disease)
Disseminated intravascular coagulation (excessive blood clotting)
PT prolongs before aPTT
Monitoring anti-coagulant therapy
Measurement of Fibrinolysis
D-dimers , a Fibrin degradation product
What can cause increased plasma viscosity?
Systemic inflammation
Haematological malignancies producing an abnormal protein
