Lab Investigation of The Full Blood Count and White Cell Disorders

Question 1

Describe the components and definitions of a full blood count

Answer 1

1) Red Blood Cell (RBC) Count: Measure the total number of red blood cells in a volume of blood

2) Hemoglobin (Hb): This measures the amount of haemoglobin in the blood, HB is the protein in RBC that carries oxygen

3) Hematocrit (HCT): This is the ratio of the volume of red cells to the volume of whole blood

4) White Blood Cell (WBC) Count: This measures the number of white blood cells in a volume of blood

5) Differential Count: This is a breakdown of the different types of white blood cells (neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils)

6) Platelet Count: This measures the number of platelets in a volume of blood.

7) Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV): This measures the average size of your red blood cells. Abnormalities can indicate certain types of anaemia

8) Mean corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH): This measures the average amount of haemoglobin in an individual red cell

9) Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC): This measures the concentration of haemoglobin in a given volume of red cells

10) Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW): This measures the variation in size of red blood cells. A higher number indicates greater variation in size, which can help diagnose certain types of anaemia

Question 2

Describe what a blood film shows and what abnormalities can be observed in terms of size, colour & shape of blood cells

Answer 2

A blood film, also known as a peripheral smear, is an important diagnostic tool that can provide detailed information about the morphology or appearance of blood cells

This test involves spreading a drop of blood thinly onto a glass slide, staining the smear, and then examining it under a microscope

1) Red Blood Cells (RBCs):

Normal RBCs are round, have a pale centre (central pallor) due to their biconcave shape, and about 6-8 micrometres in diameter

Abnormalities can be seen in size (anisocytosis), shape (poikilocytosis), and colour (hypochromia or hyperchromia). For instance:

• Microcytes (small RBCs) are seen in iron deficiency anaemia and thalassemia
• Macrocytes (large RBCs) occur in vitamin B12 or folate deficiency
• Sickle cells in sickle cell disease or target cells in haemoglobin C disease and liver disease
• Spherocytes (small, dark, round RBCs with no central pallor) are seen in hereditary spherocytosis or autoimmune haemolytic anaemia
• Schistocytes or fragmented RBCs occur in conditions like disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) or thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP)
• Hypochromia (cells with increased central pallor) are commonly observed in iron deficiency anaemia

2) White Blood Cells (WBCs):

• The blood film can show the relative proportions of different WBC types (neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils)
• and identify abnormal cells like immature cells (blasts) in leukemia or atypical lymphocytes in viral infections

3) Platelets:

• Platelet count can be estimated and their size or appearance evaluated
• Large platelets might be seen in conditions where platelets are being produced rapidly, such as in immune thrombocytopenia (ITP)

4) Parasites:

• Certain blood parasites can also be identified in a blood film, such as Plasmodium species in malaria or microfilariae in filariasis