hematology n : the branch of medicine that deals with diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs [syn: haematology]

English

Noun

1. the scientific study of blood and blood-producing organs

Alternative spellings

• haematology in British English

Related terms

• hematologist
• haematologist

Hematology (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.

Blood diseases affect the production of blood and its components, such as blood cells, hemoglobin, blood proteins, the mechanism of coagulation, etc.

Hematologists and Hematopathologists

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 it, 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 specialise 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 (onco hematology)
• treating hemoglobinopathies
• in the science of blood transfusion and the work of a blood bank

''(Hema- comes from the Greek word "`'aima" meaning "blood", -ology means study of.

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).

In a blood bank the Coombs test is the most commonly performed test.

Hematology as basic medical science

• Blood
  • Venous blood
  • Venipuncture
  • Hemopoiesis
  • Blood tests
  • Cord blood
• Red blood cells
  • Erythropoiesis
  • Erythropoietin
  • Iron metabolism
  • Hemoglobin
  • Glycolysis
  • Pentose phosphate pathway
• Reticuloendothelial system
  • Bone marrow
  • Spleen
  • Liver
• Lymphatic system
• Blood transfusion
  • Blood plasma
  • Blood bank
  • Blood donors
  • Blood groups
• Haemostasis
  • Coagulation
  • Vitamin K
• Complement system
  • Immunoglobulins

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

Treatments include:

• Diet advice
• Oral medication - tablets or liquid medicines
• Anticoagulation therapy
• Intramuscular injections (for example, Vitamin B12 injections)
• Blood transfusion (for anemia)
• Venesection (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

External links

• American Society of Hematology
• BloodLine
• Major milestones in history of hematology (PDF)
• Multilingual index
• Extensive Hematology Slide Collection