Hematology

In a clinical lab there are many different departments that all perform specific tests. These departments are Chemistry, Microbiology, Urinalysis, Blood Bank, Serology, Specimen Collecting and Processing, and then my favorite, Hematology. The Hematology department specializes in the components of blood. When breaking down the word hematology, it means the study of blood. This department does testing on erythrocytes, leukocytes and platelets, as well as Coagulation and Body Fluid Analysis. This can sound confusing but upon further analysis it is easy to understand more about what it is like in the Hematology Department. The staff that works in Hematology have completed a four-year degree followed by a long three to four year residency program or internship. Once that is completed they then need to spend a couple more years learning how to diagnose and treat the different kinds of blood disorders. Once they have finished the schooling and the internship, they can be considered a hematology specialist. A hematologist is able to understand the causes of abnormalities in the blood as well as diagnosing patients, caring

This involves platelets and liquid components called clotting factors. What this means is that they test and measure the levels of the clotting factors to determine if these factors are present and functioning as they should be. Patients who do not have these normal clotting factors are at risk for bleeding to death if they get minor cuts or injuries. Their disorder needs to be carefully monitored and treated to prevent them from bleeding. They must be given medication to clot their blood. Other patients can have a disorder that their blood clots to fast or incorrectly causing them to get blood clots. These type of patients get medication to decrease the blood clotting. Patients with these types of disorders need constant monitoring by the Hematology