Hematology – Common Tests
Some commonly requested tests performed in this department are listed here for your information.
Complete Blood Count: CBC, CBC with differential, blood count.
A CBC can tell your doctor a great deal about the state of your health. Medical conditions that cause an abnormal blood count include anemia, the presence of an infection, and some kinds of cancer. Blood counts can be used for screening, diagnosis, or management of certain diseases and medical conditions.
Red Blood Count (RBC) -Red blood cells carry oxygen to the tissues in your body. When your red blood cell count is low, your body tissues do not get enough oxygen to do their work. This results in a condition called anemia. In anemia, the hemoglobin and hematocrit are usually low.
More About Anemia
White Blood Count (WBC) - White blood cells help to protect your body by fighting bacteria that cause infection. It is important to protect yourself against infection when your white blood cell count is low.
Hemoglobin - a measure of the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood
Hematocrit - a measurement of the percent volume of red cells and plasma
Platelet Count -Platelets help your blood to clot, so that excessive bleeding is prevented when you hurt yourself. If there are not enough platelets in your blood, you may bleed or bruise more easily than usual.
Differential - There are several different types of white blood cells, which have different functions related to immunity. The differential (diff) gives these proportions of the different types of white blood cells which vary in bacterial or viral infection, allergies, etc.
Sedimentation Rate (ESR, Sed rate) - The sedimentation rate is a non-specific indicator of inflammation. It is best used when comparing changes over time. A single test does not give much usable information. Some things that can cause an elevated ESR include exercise, arthritis, rheumatic fever, heart attack, infections, some malignancies, menstruation, and normal pregnancy after the third month.
Urinalysis
Synonyms: Routine Urinalysis, UA
Routine urinalysis includes the examination of the physical and chemical characteristics of urine. A routine urinalysis may also include a microscopic examination, if needed. Physical and chemical characteristics include color, appearance, specific gravity, pH (acidity), the presence of protein, glucose (sugar), blood, and other chemicals. The microscopic examination may find bacteria, crystals, blood, and other types of cells.
A routine urinalysis can tell your doctor a great deal. Diabetes, urinary tract infections, and kidney problems are among the many medical conditions that can be detected by routine urinalysis results. Very often, a routine urinalysis is part of a general physical exam.
Coagulation (clotting) studies - prothrombin time and other tests are used to determine the clotting process in the blood or to monitor the use of anticoagulants like Coumadin. Coumadin’s dosage must be carefully controlled because the safe range is narrow. Each patient needs a different amount depending on their weight, diet, general health, and activity level. People taking Coumadin must adhere very closely to their dosages and schedule, and must have blood collected at regular intervals for "protime" tests.
Coagulation testing and other laboratory tests are involved when determining what is happening in emergency situations. Conditions caused by thrombosis are life threatening. Thrombosis is the unexpected development of a blood clot in a vein or an artery that plugs the vessel. Blood in the blocked vessel cannot reach critical tissue, and the tissue dies. Thrombosis can occur in arteries, causing heart attacks and strokes, or in veins, causing thrombophlebitis, deep vein thrombosis, and pulmonary emboli. It is a major problem in the US.
lmmunohematology (Blood Bank)
Blood type and Rh - to identify a person's blood type which can be O, A, B or AB and Rh which can be either positive or negative.
Antibody Screen – to determine if an individual has developed antibodies to certain types of red blood cells that could cause a reaction to blood in a transfusion.
Cross match (compatibility test) - to determine if a unit of blood may be used for a transfusion for a particular patient.