| What is hematology? |
| Blood |
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Laboratory Tests What are lab tests? Why does your doctor use lab tests? How are lab tests analyzed? What do lab tests show? What factors affect your lab test results? |
| What does a blood bank do? |
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How much blood is donated each year? Who needs blood? Who donates blood? What are the criteria for blood donation? Who should not donate blood? Where is blood donated? What is apheresis? What is the most common blood type? What tests are performed on donated blood? How is blood stored and used? What fees are associated with blood? What is the availability of blood? What can you do if you aren’t eligible to donate? What is hematology? Hematology, also spelled haematology, is the branch of internal medicine, physiology, pathology, clinical laboratory work, and pediatrics that is concerned with the study of blood, the blood-forming organs, and blood diseases. Hematology includes the study of etiology, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and prevention of blood diseases. The laboratology work that goes into the study of blood is frequently performed by a medical technologist. Hematologists physicians also very frequently do further study in oncology - the medical treatment of cancer. ''Blood diseases'' affect the production of blood and its components, such as blood cells, hemoglobin, blood proteins, the mechanism of coagulation, etc. Physicians specialized in hematology are known as hematologists. Their routine work mainly includes the care and treatment of patients with hematological diseases, although some may also work at the hematology laboratory viewing blood films and bone marrow slides under the microscope, interpreting various hematological test results. In some institutions, hematologists also manage the hematology laboratory. Physicians who work in hematology laboratories, and most commonly manage them, are pathologists specialized in the diagnosis of hematological diseases, referred to as hematopathologists. Hematologists and hematopathologists generally work in conjunction to formulate a diagnosis and deliver the most appropriate therapy if needed. Hematology is a distinct subspecialty of internal medicine, separate from but overlapping with the subspecialty of medical oncology. Hematologists may specialize further or have special interests, for example in: * treating bleeding disorders such as hemophilia and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura * treating hematological malignacies such as lymphoma and leukemia * treating hemoglobinopathies * in the science of blood transfusion and the work of a blood bank * in bone marrow and stem cell transplantation (Hematology comes from the Greek words ἁίμα (''haima'') meaning "blood" and λόγος (''logos''), a root commonly employed to denote a field of study.) Hematology Common Basic Clinical Hematology Tests Hematology (or haematology) is the field of medicine involved in the study of the blood. Blood is composed of particles, proteins, and fluids that are made in the lymphatic organs and bone marrow. Patients are normally under a hematologist's care via referral from a primary caregiver or hospital. A hematologist is called in when symptoms or tests indicate anemia, blood clotting disease, blood count irregularities, or platelet irregularities. To diagnose diseases, hematologists perform intense analysis of the blood, blood cells, and bone marrow cells. Hematology is often combined with other disciplines to diagnose and treat diseases where the blood is involved. Hematopathologists are doctors who specialize in diseases of the blood but also of the organs and tissues that are fueled by blood cells (lymph nodes, spleen, thymus, and lymphoid tissue). They are often experts in diagnostics where multiple symptoms are involved. Hematology and oncology overlap in cancer treatment. Hematology-oncology doctors prescribe and perform stem cell transplants, bone marrow transplants, chemotherapy, and pheresis. These therapies are used to treat lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and immunity diseases. Hematologists work in laboratories, blood banks, hospitals, cancer treatment centers, and medical offices. Hematology is classified into four major groups: Hemoglobinopathy - Studies abnormality in the globin chains of the hemoglobin molecule. Diseases such as thalassemia (or erythropoiesis) and sickle-cell anemia fall under the umbrella of hemoglobinopathy, which are more common in the ethnic African population. Hematological malignancies - Diagnosis and treatment of cancers that affect bone marrow, blood, and lymph nodes. Leukemia, lymphomas, and myeloma fall into this category. Anemia - Involves the loss of hemoglobin from the blood leading to low organ oxygenation. Coagulopathy - Deals with diseases that encompass improper blood clotting and excessive bleeding. Hematology relies on blood tests as a primary diagnostic tool. Tests performed by hematologists to diagnose illnesses include: * Blood count (CBC) - Helps in diagnosing anemia and certain blood cancers. A CBC also helps to monitor infection and blood loss. * Platelet count - For diagnosing diseases and monitoring bleeding and clotting diseases. * Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) - Measures the rate at which red blood cells fall to help diagnose sickle cell anemia, polycythemia, and congestive heart failure. * Prothrombin time (PT) - Evaluates bleeding and clotting diseases and can help monitor anti-clotting therapies. * Bone marrow biopsies - To test for abnormal red or white blood cell counts shown in cancerous diseases (leukemia or Hodgkin's disease) or anemia. * Antiglobulin/Coombs test - Measures for antibodies that destroy red blood cells that may cause anemia, jaundice, mono, syphilis, lymphoproliferative disorder, or blood transfusion reactions. * Diascopy - A simple test to see how skin blanches under pressure to diagnose various conditions. Adult Chronic anemia Sickle cell disease, or one of its variants Chronic thrombocytopenia (due to any cause) Hereditary telangiectasia Coagulation defects (hemophilia or a similar disorder) Polycythemia vera (with erythrocytosis, splenomegaly andleukocytosis or thrombocytosis) Myelofibrosis (myeloproliferative syndrome) Chronic granulocytopenia (due to any cause) Aplastic anemias with bone marrow or stem cell transplantation. Childhood Growth Impairment Classification of Benign and Premalignant Hematologic Disorders Anaphylactoid Purpura Henock-Schönlein Disease Allergic Purpura Henock-Schönlein Disease Anemia Anemia, Hemolytic Anemia, Hypoproliferative Anemia Macrocytic Anemia, Microcytic Anemia, Normocytic Anemia, Pernicious, see Vitamin B12 Deficiency Basophilia Blood Vessel Abnormalities Dysfibrinogenemia Eosinophilia Erythrocytosis/Polycythemia Essential Thrombocythemia Excess platelets, see Thrombocytosis Excess red blood cells, see Erythrocytosis/Polycythemia Excess white blood cells, see Leukocytosis Factor V Leiden Mutation Fibrin Clot Formation Abnormalities Folic Acid Deficiency Hypoproliferative anemia Hemolytic anemia Hemophilia Henock-Schönlein Disease Hereditary von Willebrand's Disease Inherited Hypercoagulation Disorders: The Factor V Leiden Mutation Inherited Platelet Abnormalities Iron Deficiency Leukocytosis Low platelets, see Thrombocytopenia Low red blood cells, see Anemia Low white blood cells, see Neutropenia Lymphocytosis Macrocytic anemia Metaplasia, Myeloid, see Myelofibrosis with Myeloid Metaplasia Microcytic anemia Monocytosis Myelofibrosis with Myeloid Metaplasia Myeloproliferative Disorders Neutropenia Neutrophilia Normocytic anemia Pernicious Anemia, see Vitamin B12 Deficiency Platelet Abnormalities Polycythemia, see Erythrocytosis/Polycythemia Polycythemia vera Premalignant Blood Disorders, see Myeloproliferative Disorders Purpura, Anaphylactoid or Allergic, see Henock-Schönlein Disease Scurvy Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Thrombocythemia, see Essential Thrombocythemia Thrombocytopenia Thrombocytosis Vitamin B12 Deficiency von Willebrand's Disease, see Hereditary von Willebrand's Disease Malignant Hematologic Disorders http://www.rocklandhemonc.com/faqs.html http://www.rocklandhemonc.com/faqs.html http://www.bcm.edu/medicine/heme-onc/index.cfm?pmid=4544 http://www.webbloodbank.org/faq.php http://www.telemedicine.arizona.edu/patient_info/benign_disorders/index.html |