Studies and assessment

• Important health information

  • past health history
  • medications
  • surgery
  • review of systems like skin texture or color
• Past health history regarding hematological system

  • blood cancer
  • anemia
  • genetics
  • blood transfusion
  • clotting
  • diet
  • menstruations
  • smoking
• Objective data of physical examination

  • skin
  • eyes (pallor, jaundice)
  • nose or mouth (pallor, bleeding)
  • lymph nodes
  • cardio and resp: HR, BP, SpO2
  • GI
  • nervous system
  • MSK
• CBC

  • WBC: 4000-11 000
  • Hgb: 140-180 g/L for men and 120-160 g/L for women
  • Hct: 35-45
  • Platelet: 150 000- 400 000
• WBC disorder

  -Increased WBC is associated with infection, inflammation, tissue injury or death

  -leukopenia: decreased WBC

  -neutropenia: decreased neutrophils
• Hematocrit is the percent of whole blood that is composed of RBC. It measures both the number and size of RBC.
• Possible hematological biopsies are

  • bone marrow biopsy
  • lymph node biopsy
• Clinical manifestations of anemia:

  • pallor
  • fatigue or weakness
  • palpitations, tachycardia, angina
  • headache, dizziness and restlessness
  • slowing of thought (fuzzy brain)
• CBC: assess 3 major blood cells formed in bone marrow
• Clotting studies: test to determine coagulation status, includes PTT, PT and INR
• Serum electrolytes: sodium, potassium and chloride levels
• Hemoglobin: reduced in cases of anemia, hemorrhage and states of hemodilution