Hematology

ematology (American English) or haematology (British English) is the branch of biology (physiology), pathology, clinical laboratory, internal medicine, 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 lab work that goes into the study of blood is performed by a Medical Technologist.

Haematologists and Haematopathologists

Physicians specialized in hematology are known as haematologists. Their routine work mainly includes the care and treatment of patients with hematological diseases, although some may also work at the haematology 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 it, are pathologists specialized in the diagnosis of hematological diseases, referred to as haematopathologists. Hematologists and haematopathologists generally work in conjunction to formulate a diagnosis and deliver the most appropriate therapy if needed. Haematology is a distinct subspecialty of internal medicine, separate from but overlapping with the subspecialty of medical oncology. Haematologists may specialise further or have special interests, for example in:

Common basic clinical hematology tests

In a clinical laboratory the hematology department performs numerous different tests on blood. The most commonly performed test is the complete blood count (CBC) also called full blood count (FBC), which includes; white blood cell count, platelet count, hemoglobin level and several parameters of red blood cells. Coagulation is a sub-speciality of hematology; basic general coagulation tests are the prothrombin time (PT) and partial thromboplastin time (PTT). Another common hematology test in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR).

Classification of hematologic diseases

Major categories of hematologic disease include:

* Hemoglobinopathies (congenital abnormality of the hemoglobin molecule or of the rate of hemoglobin synthesis)
* Anemias (lack of red blood cells or hemoglobin)
* Hematological malignancies
* Coagulopathies (disorders of bleeding and coagulation)

Tests

Tests used in the investigation of hematological problems include:

* Full blood count
* Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
* Blood film
* Bone marrow examination
* Coombs test
* Diascopy
* serum Ferritin level
* Vitamin B12 and Folate levels
* Prothrombin time
* Partial thromboplastin time
* Protein electrophoresis
* Hemoglobin electrophoresis
* D-dimer
* EOS

Treatments

* Diet advice
* Oral medication - tablets or liquid medicines
* Anticoagulation therapy
* Intramuscular injections (for example, Vitamin B12 injections)
* Blood transfusion (for anemia)
* Venesection also known as therepeutic phlebotomy (for iron overload or polycythemia)
* Bone marrow transplant (for example, for leukemia)
* Chemotherapy (for example, for leukemia)
* Radiotherapy (in decline, for example, for leukemia)

Alphabetical lists

* Hematologists
* Blood disorders
* Hematology topics