HEMATOLOGY I
MeLS3131
7 EtCTS
Course objective
At the end of this course students will be able to:
• Define hematology and explain its role in clinical medicine
• Describe hematopoiesis
• Describe components of blood and their role
• Collect and prepare blood specimen for clinical diagnosis
• Discus anticoagulants
• Prepare and use three various hematological stains
• Perform manual complete blood cell counting
• Calculate the red cell indices
cont’d
• Perform Erythrocyte sedimentation rate
• Perform reticulocyte count and calculate the reticulocyte index
• Perform quality control for hematological tests
• Recognize sources of error and possible remedies in routine
hematologic tests/complete blood counting
• Exercise professional ethics in patient handling, specimen
collection, processing, reporting and documentation including
confidentiality
Chapter 1
Introduction
Objectives
Upon completion of this chapter the student will be able to:
• Define hematology
• Discuss the history of hematology
• Describe the role of hematology laboratory in clinical
medicine
Outline
• Definition of Hematology
• Historical background of hematology
• Role of hematology laboratory in clinical medicine
1.1. Introduction
Definition of Haematology
• Greek term
• Haima means blood
• Logos means discourse
• Hence Hematology is the science or study of blood and its
components
• It encompasses:
• The study of blood cells and coagulation
• Analyses of concentration, structure and function of cells in blood
and their precursors in the bone marrow
1.2. Historical background of hematology
• History of hematology dates back to primitive man
• Loss of large amount of blood was associated with death
• Excess blood, plethora, was also considered as the cause of all illness by the
ancient Greeks
• In support of this belief they introduced the practice of bloodletting supported by
starvation to induce anemia
• Hippocrates laid the foundation for hematology with his theory of the body’s four
humors and his concept that all blood disorders result due to imbalance of
these humors
• Blood
• Phlegm
• Black bile
• Yellow bile
Cont’d
• i.e., the gross appearance of blood was studied:
• When blood is stood for some time it makes layers
• Layers were perceived to constitute the substance of the human body
• Health and disease was associated with proper mixture or imbalance of
these layers
• These principles unfortunately remained unchallenged for 1400
years!
• Gradually hematology elevated into a discipline of medicine with
basic morphological observations that can be traced to a distinct
pathophysiology by people of science such as Galen, Harvey,
van Leeuwenhoek , Virchow, and Ehrlich
Cont’d
• Introduction of the microscope in the 17th century by Antoni
van Leeuwenhoek and others:
• Allowed the study of circulating blood cells, and interest arose in their
possible function
• Theory and dogma were replaced by scientific understanding
• In the early 19th century, studies were made on the causes of
anemia and its deleterious effects on the patient
• This was followed later in that century by descriptions of blood
diseases such as Addisonian pernicious anemia, Hodgkin
disease
Cont’d
• Early 20th century, Castle first treated patients with Addisonian
pernicious anemia by giving them raw liver followed later by liver
extract
• Measurement of hemoglobin and microscopic examination of
peripheral-blood cells hence became essential to medical practice as
a means of diagnosis
• Subsequent development in molecular biology and automation
enabled:
• Electronic manipulation of cells
• Detection of genetic mutations underlying the altered structure and function of
cells and proteins that result in hematologic disease
• Decreased the turn around time (TAT; testing time)
1.3. The role of Hematology Laboratory in Clinical
Medicine
• Confirming a physician’s clinical impression of a possible
hematological disorder
• Establish a diagnosis or rule out a diagnosis
• Detect an unsuspected disorder
• Monitor the effect of Medication
• Although the CBC is the most frequently requested procedure, the
technologist or technician must be familiar with the theory and practice
of a wide variety of automated and manual tests performed in the
laboratory to provide quality patient care
Summary
• Definition of Hematology
• Historical background of hematology (from primitive thinking,
advent of microscopy, advancement of molecular techniques
and automation)
• Role of hematology laboratory in clinical medicine
