Haematology

1. Haematopoiesis and the Spleen

• Understand the process of haematopoiesis (how blood cells are made).
• Understand the development of the main blood cell types.
• Understand the function of the spleen.
• Understand the causes and clinical significance of splenomegaly (an enlarged spleen) and hyposplenism (an underactive or absent spleen).

• Understand what it means to have a "normal" result
• Understand the reasons as to why results may be "abnormal"
• Understand how blood is analysed
• Understand why and how you would do a blood count
• To be able to describe a blood film (a stained smear of blood examined under a microscope) using the appropriate terminology

3. Blood Groups, Crossmatching and Transfusion Reactions

• Understand how red-cell antigens and plasma antibodies decide whether blood can be given safely, and link them to grouping, screening, crossmatching (testing donor blood against the patient's blood before transfusion), Rh (rhesus) sensitisation (an RhD negative person making antibodies against RhD positive red cells) and transfusion reactions.

• Be able to understand what anaemia is and how it is defined clinically
• Be able to understand how anaemia develops and what the causes are
• Be able to classify anaemia based on the appearance of red blood cells
• Be able to describe how anaemia presents
• Be able to describe the treatment of anaemia

• Understand the function and absorption of vitamin B12
• Understand the function and absorption of folate (vitamin B9)
• Understand the effects of a deficiency in vitamin B12 or folate
• Understand the dietary requirements for providing these required building blocks

• Understand what iron does and how the body handles it
• Understand the effects of a deficiency in iron
• Understand the dietary requirements for providing this required building block

• To be able to describe what haemoglobinopathies (inherited disorders of haemoglobin) are and to be able to give some examples
• To be able to describe thalassaemias (inherited conditions that affect how haemoglobin is made), including the different types and how they are caused
• To be able to describe sickle cell disease (of which sickle cell anaemia is the most common and severe type) and the treatment for it

• Understand what symptoms are seen when the quantity of red blood cells deviates from the normal range
• Understand the different types of disorders caused by the overproduction of blood cells
• Understand the different types of disorders caused by the underproduction of blood cells

• Understand what types of changes will be seen in the blood with a systemic disease
• Understand what is meant by the term anaemia of chronic disease (anaemia that develops with long-term illness such as infection, inflammation or cancer)
• Understand the haematological changes in rheumatoid arthritis, liver disease, post-operative patients, infections and cancer
• Understand that changes in the blood in systemic disease can come from the disease itself, its complications or its treatment