Bone marrow is soft, spongy, gelatinous tissue that fills the centers of bones known as medullary cavities. Bone marrow is highly vascular meaning that it is enriched with blood vessels and capillaries. Each day bone marrow produces hundreds of billions of new blood cells. Bone marrow takes over from the liver as the major hematopoietic organ […]
Hematology
Aplastic Anemia – Classification, Treatment and Prognosis
Aplastic anemia is a rare hematological (blood) disorder in which the bone marrow is damaged resulting in failure to produce all the three major types of blood cells. Bone marrow is a sponge-like tissue inside the bones that makes stem cells which develop into red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), and platelets. It is also called hypoplastic anemia. The fundamental […]
Venous Blood Sampling
Venous blood sampling is a diagnostic procedure in which a needle is inserted into a particular vein and a sample of blood is collected for laboratory analysis. Venous blood is deoxygenated blood that flows from tiny capillary blood vessels within the tissues into progressively larger veins to the right side of the heart. Most of […]
What is a Capillary Blood Sample
A capillary blood sample is collected by pricking the skin. Capillaries are small vessels formed by branching of arterioles. Blood flows from the heart to arteries, which divide into arterioles, and then further divide into capillaries. After the tissue has been perfused, capillaries then unite to become venules and then widen more to become veins, […]
Blood Sample Handling and Processing
After taking a blood sample, the blood needs to be managed in a proper way so as to prepare it for investigations. Blood sample handling and processing can be summarized as below. Pre-centrifugation Handling The first critical step in the lab testing process, after obtaining the sample, is the preparation of the blood sample. Specimen […]
Vacutainer and Their Use in Blood Sampling
Vacutainer is a blood collection tube (sterile glass or plastic tube) used to collect blood samples for laboratory testing. These tubes have a closure which is evacuated to create a vacuum inside the tube thereby enabling a predetermined amount of blood to be withdrawn. Vacutainer tubes were invented by Joseph Kleiner and Becton Dickinson in 1949. Vacutainer is a registered […]
Heel Stick or Heel Lance for Blood Sampling
Heel stick or heel lance is a minimally invasive method to obtain blood sample. It withdraws capillary blood samples and is used especially in newborn screens and glucose levels. It can be used for routine tests too as lab techniques now require smaller sample volumes. Heel sticks can be used when venous access cannot be […]
Peripheral Blood Smear Procedure and Interpretation
Peripheral blood film or peripheral blood smear or Peripheral smear examination forms an important and basic lab investigation for diagnosing a number of hematological (blood) disorders. With the advent of hematological automated machines, complete and highly accurate hematological data and parameters can be obtained within a few minutes. In spite of this, peripheral blood smear […]
Acquired Hemophilia – Causes and Treatment
Acquired hemophilia is a rare autoimmune disorder characterized by bleeding that occurs in patients with a personal and family history negative for hemorrhages. In acquired hemophilia, the body produces antibodies [also known as inhibitors] that attack clotting factors, most often factor VIII. The affected individuals develop complications associated with abnormal, uncontrolled bleeding into the muscles, […]
Hemophilia C Presentation and Treatment
Hemophilia C refers to the deficiency of factor XI which results in bleeding tendencies. Hemophilia C is also known as plasma thromboplastin antecedent (PTA) deficiency or Rosenthal syndrome. It is a mild form of hemophilia affecting both sexes. It is predominantly known to occur in Jewish people of Ashkenazi descent. It is the fourth most […]