Hematology
(Redirected from Hematologists)
Hematology (also spelt haematology in British English) represents a critical specialization within the broader fields of internal medicine and pediatrics, focusing specifically on the study of blood, blood-forming organs, and a spectrum of blood-related diseases. It encompasses the comprehensive investigation of blood diseases' etiology (causes), diagnosis, treatment, prognosis (outlook), and prevention.
Understanding Blood Diseases[edit | edit source]
Blood diseases or hematological disorders, manifest when there's a disruption in the production of blood or any of its critical components, such as blood cells, hemoglobin, blood proteins, and coagulation mechanisms. These disruptions can significantly impact the body's capacity to transport oxygen, clot blood, fight infections, and maintain overall health.[1]
The Role of Hematologists[edit | edit source]
Hematologists are highly specialized medical doctors whose practice is dedicated to the field of hematology. They perform a wide range of tasks, from overseeing the hematology laboratory's operations and scrutinizing blood films and bone marrow slides under the microscope, to interpreting diverse hematology test results and managing the care of in-patients and out-patients.[2]
Hematologists often develop further specializations or specific interests in particular areas, including:
- Treatment of bleeding disorders such as hemophilia
- Management of hematological malignancies like lymphoma and leukemia (also known as onco-hematology)
- Treatment of hemoglobinopathies, abnormalities in the structure of hemoglobin
- Research and clinical work in the field of blood transfusion and the operation of a blood bank[3]
Hematology as basic medical science[edit | edit source]
- Blood
- Red blood cells
- Reticuloendothelial system
- Lymphatic system
- Blood transfusion
- Haemostasis
- Complement system
Classification of hematology diseases[edit | edit source]
- Hemoglobinopathies (congenital abnormality of the hemoglobin molecule or of the rate of hemoglobin synthesis)
- Anemias (lack of red blood cells or hemoglobin)
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Megaloblastic anemia
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
- Folate deficiency
- Hemolytic anemias (destruction of red blood cells)
- Genetic disorders of RBC membrane
- Genetic disorders of RBC metabolism
- Immune mediated hemolytic anaemia (direct Coombs test is positive)
- Autoimmune hemolytic anemia
- Warm antibody autoimmune hemolytic anemia
- Idiopathic
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
- Evans' syndrome (antiplatelet antibodies and haemolytic antibodies)
- Cold antibody autoimmune hemolytic anemia
- Warm antibody autoimmune hemolytic anemia
- Alloimmune hemolytic anemia
- Hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN)
- Rh disease (Rh D)
- ABO hemolytic disease of the newborn
- Anti-Kell hemolytic disease of the newborn
- Rhesus c hemolytic disease of the newborn
- Other blood group incompatibility (RhC, Rhe, RhE, Kid, Duffy, MN, P and others)
- Hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN)
- Drug induced immune mediated hemolytic anaemia
- Penicillin (high dose)
- Methyldopa
- Autoimmune hemolytic anemia
- Hemoglobinopathies (where these is an unstable or crystaline hemoglobin)
- Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (rare acquired clonal disorder of red blood cell surface protiens)
- Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia
- Aplastic anemia
- Decreased numbers of cells
- Myelodysplastic syndrome
- Myelofibrosis
- Neutropenia (decrease in the number of neutrophils)
- Agranulocytosis
- Glanzmann's thrombasthenia
- Thrombocytopenia (decrease in the number of platelets)
- Myeloproliferative disorders (Increased numbers of cells)
- Polycythemia vera (increase in the number of cells in general)
- Leukocytosis (increase in the number of white blood cells)
- Thrombocytosis (increase in the number of platelets)
- Myeloproliferative disorder
- Hematological malignancies
- Coagulopathies (disorders of bleeding and coagulation)
- Thrombocytosis
- Recurrent thrombosis
- Disseminated intravascular coagulation
- Disorders of clotting proteins
- Disorders of platelets
- Miscellaneous
- Haemotological changes secondary to non-haemotological disorders
Tests[edit | edit source]
Tests used in the investigation of haematological problems include:
- Full blood counts
- ESR
- Blood films
- Bone marrow biopsies
- Coombs test
- serum Ferritin level
- Vitamin B12 and Folate levels
- Prothrombin time
- Partial thromboplastin time
- Protein electrophoresis
- Hemoglobin electrophoresis
- D-dimer
Treatments[edit | edit source]
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)
List of Hematologists (USA)[edit | edit source]
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
US territories
External links[edit | edit source]
See also[edit | edit source]
- Complete blood count
- Blood plasma
- Bone marrow examination
- Hematopathology
- Coagulation (medicine)
- Blood transfusion
- Glossary of hematology
- Dictionary of hematology
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- ↑ , Essential Haematology, Wiley-Blackwell, 2015, ISBN 978-1-118-40943-5,
- ↑ Hematology: Overview Full text, , Association of American Medical Colleges,
- ↑ , Onco-hematology: A new term for a growing discipline, Cancer, 2018, Vol. 124(Issue: 22), pp. 4303-4304, DOI: 10.1002/cncr.31710,
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