L.1 Introduction Flashcards
What is haematology?
The study of diseases and disorders of blood and blood forming organs
Involves diagnosis and monitoring of diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs.
Where are blood cells manufactured?
In the bone marrow (BM)
Blood cells are released into the peripheral blood (PB).
What percentage of blood is composed of plasma?
55%
Plasma is the liquid component of blood.
What percentage of blood is composed of red blood cells (RBCs)?
41%
RBCs are responsible for oxygen transport.
What percentage of blood is composed of white blood cells (WBCs)?
4%
WBCs are involved in immune response.
What percentage of blood is composed of platelets?
0.01%
Platelets are essential for blood clotting.
What does the blue cap vacutainer contain?
Whole blood or plasma sample
Contains buffered sodium citrate as a reversible anticoagulant.
What is the function of buffered sodium citrate in the blue cap vacutainer?
Acts by binding to calcium ions in the blood and disrupting the clotting cascade
Used for coagulation screens.
What tests are performed using the blue cap vacutainer?
Coagulation screens including:
* Platelet function
* PT
* APTT
* TT
* Fibrinogen assay
* D-dimers
Important for assessing blood clotting.
What does the purple cap vacutainer contain?
Whole blood
Contains EDTA, a potent anticoagulant.
What is the function of EDTA in the purple cap vacutainer?
Acts as a potent anticoagulant by binding to calcium in the blood
Prevents blood clotting.
What tests are performed using the purple cap vacutainer?
Tests including:
* FBC
* Blood film
* Malaria parasites
* Reticulocytes
* Red cell folate
* Monospot
Commonly used for hematological assessments.
What is bone marrow aspiration?
Push a heavy-duty needle into a particular bone, e.g., pelvis
Used to obtain a sample of bone marrow.
What is bone marrow trephine?
Obtain a larger sample of bone that includes bone tissue as well as bone marrow
Also referred to as a biopsy of tissue from the hip.
What type of analyser is typically used for FBC in labs?
Sysmex
Commonly used automated hematology analyzers.
What is spectrometry used for?
To obtain Hb result
Involves the destruction of RBC membrane and the release of Hb.
What happens when Drabkin’s solution is added in spectrometry?
Forms cyanmethaemoglobin
This allows for the assessment of hemoglobin concentration.
What does Beer-Lambert’s Law state?
Density of red/pink colour is proportional to the Hb present in sample
This law is fundamental in spectrometry for relating concentration to absorbance.
What principle does impedance rely on?
Ability of an ionic fluid to assist the passage of electricity
Electrolytes play a crucial role in this measurement technique.
How does the presence of blood cells affect impedance?
Interrupts the passage of electricity
More cells lead to greater disturbances in electrical flow.
What can sophisticated software do in impedance analysis?
Convert number of disturbances to number and size of cells
This allows for detailed analysis of blood components.
What parameters can be provided by impedance method?
- RCC
- WBC
- Platelets
- MCV
These are essential blood counts in hematology.
What does flow cytometry rely on?
Disruption of a laser
This technique measures various properties of cells as they pass through a laser beam.
What does the degree of forward scattered light indicate in flow cytometry?
Proportional to size of cell
This measurement helps in cell size analysis.
