A Beginner's Guide to Blood Cells

Preface vii Abbreviations viii 1 The Blood Film and Count 1 Blood 1 The blood film 1 The blood count 17 Normal ranges 20 How to examine a blood film 22 2 Assessing Red Cells 29 Assessing red cell number and distribution (anaemia polycythaemia rouleaux formation red cell agglutination) 29 Assessing red cell size (microcytosis macrocytosis anisocytosis) 32 Assessing red cell shape (poikilocytosis) 32 Assessing red cell colour (hypochromia hyperchromia anisochromasia polychromasia) 32 Detecting red cell inclusions (Pappenheimer bodies basophilic stippling Howell–Jolly bodies) 41 The full blood count in red cell assessment 43 3 Assessing White Cells and Platelets 45 Assessing white cell and platelet numbers 45 Assessing neutrophil morphology 46 Assessing lymphocyte morphology 51 Assessing morphology of monocytes eosinophils and basophils 53 Assessing platelet morphology 53 4 Haematological Findings in Health and Disease 55 The blood film and count in healthy individuals 55 Abnormalities of red cells 56 Abnormalities of white cells 77 5 Emergency Morphology: The Relevance of the Full Blood Count and Blood Film in Acute Illness 97 Thrombocytopenia 97 Thrombotic microangiopathy and microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia 98 Other acute anaemia 100 Kidney injury and disease 105 Acute hepatic damage and liver failure 107 Acute leukaemia 109 Bacterial infection and other causes of leucocytosis 109 Eosinophilia 113 Lymphocytosis 115 Malaria 116 Neutropenia 119 Pancytopenia and leucoerythroblastic blood films 121 Neonatal emergencies 122 6 Self]assessment 125 Index 143