Haematology (Intro to haematology) Flashcards

1
Q

What is haematology?

A

The study of blood

- concerned with the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases of the blood and blood forming organs

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2
Q

What % of blood is cells? What are the 3 types of cell in the blood?

A

45%

  • RBCs
  • WBCs
  • Platelets
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3
Q

What is the remaining % of blood?

A

Plasma

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4
Q

What features of RBCs does haematology study?

A
  • Number
  • Function
  • Size
  • Quantity on haemoglobin they carry
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5
Q

What is the most common condition that affects RBCs?

A

Anemia

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6
Q

What is the result of anemia and the associated symptoms?

A
  • Reduced oxygen carrying capacity of the blood

- lethargy, weakness, dizziness

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7
Q

What are some common causes of anemia?

A
  • Iron deficiency
  • Vitamin B12 deficiency
  • Maliganacy
  • Kidney and liver disease
  • Infections
  • Inherited conditions e.g sickle cell
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8
Q

What is another name for WBCs? What are the 5 categories?

A

leukocytes

  • lymphocytes
  • monocytes
  • neutrophils
  • basophils
  • eosinophils
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9
Q

What is the most common disease of WBCs?

A

Leukaemia

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10
Q

What can be the cause of a rise or a fall in WBC count?

A

Rise:

  • Infectious disease
  • Leukaemia

Fall:

  • aplastic anemia (poor bone marrow formation)
  • medication e.g chemo
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11
Q

What is the result of low WBCs?

A

Immunodeficiency

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12
Q

What % of the total WBC count is made of lymphocytes?

A

20-45%

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13
Q

What is the structure of lymphocytes?

A
  • Mononuclear
  • Nucleus is round and regular
  • Makes up 90% of cell
  • Do not contain granules
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14
Q

What are the functions of lymphocytes?

A

1) Generation of antibodies by B cells
2) Co-operation in antibody production by Th cells
3) Destruction of viral infected cells by Tc cells

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15
Q

What % of the WBC count is monocytes? What is their structure?

A

2-10%

  • Large mononuclear cells
  • kidney shaped nuclei
  • Cytoplasm has a ‘ground glass’ appearance due to granules
  • May have vacuoles
  • Largest WBC
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16
Q

What are the functions of monocytes?

A
  • Phagocytosis
  • Participation in inflammation
  • Removal of debris
  • Release of cytokines e.g IL-2
  • Participation in homeostasis - production of tissue factor
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17
Q

What % of WBC count is neutrophils? What is their structure?

A

40-75%

  • Polymorphonuclear (various shape nuclei)
  • Granulocytic
  • Larger than RBCs
18
Q

What are the functions of neutrophils?

A
  • Phagocytosis
  • Inflammation
  • Removal of debris
19
Q

What % of WBC count is basophils? What is their structure?

A

<1%

  • Granulocytic
  • Large amounts of granules
20
Q

What is the function of basophils?

A
  • Participation in hypersensitivity

- Release of histamine and heparin

21
Q

What % of WBC count is eosinophils? What is their structure?

A

1-6%

  • Granulocytic
  • Nucleus has 2 lobes
22
Q

What is the function of eosinophils?

A
  • Protection against parasitic infections
  • Participation in allergic reactions
  • Release of histamine
23
Q

What is haemostasis?

A

Group of balanced cellular and molecular processes that aims to minimise blood loss upon vessel damage

24
Q

What is the name for the loss of blood?

A

Haemorrhage

- can be life threatening

25
Q

What is the term for blood clotting?

A

Thrombosis

- can also be very dangerous if excessive or inappropriately activated

26
Q

Normal haemostasis relies on what type of cells and what type of proteins?

A

Platelets and coagulation proteins

27
Q

What are platelets and what is their structure?

A
  • Small fragments of the cytoplasm of a larger cell called a megakaryocyte found in bone marrow
  • Granular
  • Small (smaller than RBCs)
  • No nucleus
  • Circulate for 7-10 days before destruction in spleen and liver
28
Q

What is the most common way to obtain a blood sample?

A

Venepuncture of the median cubital vein

- blood collected into a colour coded vacutainer

29
Q

What does the colour of the vacutainer indicate?

A

Whether or not anticoagulants are present, and if so which ones
- Choice of vacutainer will depend on the tests to be performed

30
Q

What are the 2 main methods of obtaining a bone marrow sample?

A

1) Bone marrow aspiration
- heavy duty needle driven into bone (breast or hip bone)

2) Trephine procedure
- An even more substantial needle used to remove a section of bone from the hip

31
Q

Once drawn from the body, how quickly will blood clot and into what 2 components?

A

2-5 minutes

  • a semi-solid mass of cells (clot)
  • the fluid (serum)
32
Q

How is separation of the clot from the serum achieved?

A

Centrifugation

33
Q

What can the serum be used to measure?

A

Micro-nutrients e.g iron, vitamin B12 BUT NOT cells, is acellular

34
Q

Give some examples of anticoagulants and what they do?

A

Heparin, sodium citrate

  • prevent clotting so that cellular components of the blood may be studied
  • work by binding calcium ions
35
Q

Is clotting is prevented and the cells settle or are centrifuged, what is the name for the liquid part and what does it contain?

A

Plasma

contains clotting factors

36
Q

The FBC, coagulation tests and immunophenotyping require what different types of anticoagulants?

A

FBC - EDTA
Coagulation tests - sodium citrate
Immunophenotyping - heparin

37
Q

Name the common types of haematological lab tests and what each tests for

A

1) Full blood count
- number/size RBCs, WBC and platelets; haemoglobin levels

2) Blood films:
- staining and microscopic examination of smeared drop of blood or bone marrow

3) Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
- measures viscosity of whole blood and gives info on inflammatory disease

4) Coagulation screen
- examines whch area of blood coagulation biochemistry is abnormal

5) Haematinic assays:
- measues concs of ferritin, vitamin B12 and folate - causes of anemia

6) Immunophenotyping:
- flow cytometry to measure characteristics of single cell

7) Haemoglobin-variant detection:
- seperation techniques e.g electophoresis used to detect haemoglobin pathologies

8) Molecular techniques:
- analysis of DNA (PCR) for acquired/inherited mutations for haematological disorders

38
Q

What 5 things measured in the full blood count?

A

1) RBC count
2) WBC count
3) Haemoglobin levels (g/L)
4) Hematocrit - proportion of whole blood taken up by blood cells
5) Red blood cell indices:
- mean cell volume (MCV)
- mean cell haemoglobin (MCH)
- Mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC)

39
Q

Name the 6 major techniques used in haematology and describe briefly what each is used to measure

A

1) Spectrometry
- measures concentration of a substance

2) Impedance
- the presence of particles e.g RBCs in an an electrolyte solution prevents the flow of a current
- the degree of impedance given indication of the number of cells present

3) Cytochemistry
- detects presence of macromolecules e.g enzymes

4) Flow cytometry
- specially stained cells scatter light from a laser, allowing the size and number of cells to be measured

5) Microscopy
- BMS plays key role as automation is uncommon

6) Immunoassays
- ELISA, latex immunoassay

40
Q

What does ELISA stand for? Describe in brief how it is performed

A

Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay

  • Antobody specific for protein coats well
  • Excess antibody washed away
  • Serum added and protein binds to antibody
  • Plate washed
  • Addition of antibody conjugated to enzyme (HRP) - binds to protein
  • Plate washed
  • Substrate reacted with enzyme to give coloured product
41
Q

What 4 tests are performed in a coagulation screen?

A

1) Prothrombin time (PT)
2) Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT)
3) Thrombin time (TT)
4) Fibrinogen