General Haematology I

At the end of this course, students should be able to: 1. define haematology; 2. describe the general concept, organisation and various stages of blood cell formation; 3. list the types and roles of growth factors involved in haematopoiesis; 4. explain the mechanism of control of haemoglobin synthesis; 5. enumerate the sites of haematopoiesis and types of haemoglobins produced in both prenatal and post-natal life; 6. state the regulation and stages of haematopoiesis; 7. describe the normal ranges of routine haematological parameters; 8. describe red blood cell indices and their correlation with red cell morphology; 9. classify anaemias and give differential diagnoses based on morphology and red cell indices; 10. explain leucocytosis/leucopenia and thrombocytosis/thrombocytopenia and their causes and mechanisms; 11. illustrate how to evaluate patients coming with quantitative blood abnormalities; 12. list common red cell shape, size and inclusion abnormalities; 13. describe various white blood cell nuclear and inclusion abnormalities; 14. enumerate platelet size and functional abnormalities; 15. discuss various clinical conditions associated with qualitative blood cell abnormalities; 16. list common causes of lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly; 17. differentiate and clinically evaluate patients with lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly; and 18. demonstrate knowledge of hyposplenism.

Blood cell formation and regulation. Erythropoiesis, myelopoiesis, lymphopoiesis and thrombopoiesis. Growth factors in haematopoiesis. Genetic control of haemoglobin synthesis. Sites of haematopoiesis in the foetus and in adult life. Types of prenatal and postnatal haemoglobins. Normal haematological values, red cell count, HB concentration, Haematocrit. Red cell indices. MCV, MCH, MCHC, correlation with red cell morphology/ morphological classification of anaemia. White cell count, differentials and absolute counts, platelet count. Quantitative blood cell abnormalities, anaemia vs polycythaemia, causes/mechanism/clinical/evaluation. Leucocytosis/leucopoenia causes/mechanism/clinical evaluation. Thrombocytosis Vs thrombocytopaenia, causes/ mechanism/clinical evaluation. Qualitative blood cell Abnormalities. Revise normal structure and functions of red blood cells, leucocytes and platelets. Red cell shape abnormalities. Red cell size abnormalities. Red cell inclusions. White cell nuclear abnormalities. White cell cytoplasmic inclusions and abnormalities. Platelet size abnormalities. Lymphadenopathy-causes/characterisation/clinical evaluation. Splenomegaly, hypersplenism, hyperreactive, malarial, splenomegaly, causes, characterisation, clinical evaluation. Hyposplenism and splenectomy. Causes, characterisation, clinical, evaluation. Causes of functional asplenia/hyposplenism and surgical splenectomy. Precautions and treatment. 83