Hematology
What is hematology?
Hematology is the study of blood and its disorders. Hematologists, board-certified internists, look specifically at blood components such as blood count, and blood and bone marrow cells. Hematological tests can help diagnose anemia, hemophilia, blood-clotting disorders, and leukemia.
What is the difference between a hematologist and a hematopathologist?
A hematologist is usually a board-certified internist who has completed additional years of training in hematology. The hematologist generally focuses on diagnosing and managing hematologic disease, especially tumors, and other cancers.
The hematopathologist is usually board-certified in both anatomical and clinical pathology and has additional years of training in hematopathology. Hematopathology is not only the study of disease of the blood and bone marrow, but also of the organs and tissues that use blood cells to perform their physiologic functions, such as the lymph nodes, the spleen, thymus, and other lymphoid tissue. The hematopathologist focuses on the diagnosis of conditions of the hematopoietic and lymphocyte-rich tissues.
Common hematology tests:
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Test
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Uses
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Complete blood count (CBC), which includes:
- white blood cell count (WBC)
- red blood cell count (RBC)
- hematocrit red blood cell volume (HCT)
- hemoglobin concentration (HB) - the oxygen-carrying pigment in red blood cells
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To aid in diagnosing anemia, certain cancers of the blood, and to monitor blood loss and infection |
| Platelet count |
To diagnose and/or to monitor bleeding and clotting disorders |
| Prothrombin time (PT) |
To evaluate bleeding and clotting disorders and to monitor anticoagulation (anti-clotting) therapies |
| Urinalysis, which includes physical examination of color, pH level, and gravity; chemical analysis for blood, proteins, glucose, and other substances; and microscopic examination of the red and white blood cells, bacteria, and other substances |
To diagnose kidney and bladder infections and other diseases |
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