DEPARTMENT OF HAEMATOLOGY

OVERVIEW

The department of Haematology has only just been prescribed to stand alone after much sojourn in the department of pathology. Giving the very important role Haematology plays in modern medicine, it is very essential that it stands alone.

OBJECTIVES

1.                   Understand the laboratory diagnostic and clinical therapeutic approaches to the common haematological and oncological conditions of children and adults as well as the practical aspects of chemotherapeutic administration and management of its toxicities.

2.                   Participate in the running of out-patient haematology and oncology clinics, be involved in the management of in-patients and long term follow-up along with residents and consultants .

3.                   Elicit histories, perform physical examinations, outline the workups necessary to evaluate patients with primary or secondary haematological disorders and interpret laboratory results.

4.                   Understand and perform basic tests carried out in the general haematology laboratory and the blood bank which they must have practiced during their block posting.

5.                   Become more familiar with some common haematological diseases such as anaemias, haemoglobinopathies, leukaemias and coagulation disorders.

6.                   Participate in bone marrow aspiration and trephine biopsy procedures.

7.                   Outline the indications for and complications of blood and blood products transfusion.

8.                   Interpret peripheral blood smears especially those of common haematological diseases as itemized in no 5 above.

9.                   Identify abnormal serum protein electrophorertic patterns especially those of sickle cell diseases.

TEACHING AND LEARNING METHODS

Proper use of microscopes will be emphasised. Lectures, tutorials, seminars, conferences, especially clinico-pathological conferences, small group discussions and laboratory work will be the major emphasis of the curriculum.

Case histories should be reviewed and glass slides and other materials examined prior to case discussions in order to maximise the usefulness of these sessions. The student from case study problems and slides should learn the pathologic features characteristic of the given clinical entity and the corresponding clinico- pathological correlation. Case studies with slides will be given out to students as regular assignments.

EVALUATION

This will be by continuous assessment which will form 40% of the main examination which will be in form of multiple choice questions, short type essays and practical / laboratory work and occasional oral examinations.

300 LEVEL CLASS

PAT 372:  INTRODUCTION TO HAEMATOLOGY (1 CREDIT)

Course objectives:

At the end of the course the student should be able to list and describe general principles of abnormalities of human blood.

Teaching & Learning Methods:

Lectures, tutorials

Problem based learning.

Evaluation

MCQ (True-False items, Essay, Practical)

Content

Introduction

-Bone marrow structure and function

-Haemopoiesis

-Haemoglobin – synthesis, function and breakdown

-Blood volume and normal haematological values.

-Spleen  -          structure and function

                         -          Macrophage – phagocyte system

-Review of peripheral blood smears and bone marrow aspirates and biopsies.

-Development of an approach to diagnosis and management of haematological cases.

-Diagnosis and management of quantitative granulocyte disorders.

-Diagnosis and management of quantitative platelet disorders.

-diagnosis and management of quantitative lymphocyte disorders.

Blood Banking

-Blood group systems.

-Appropriate use of blood and blood products

-Recognition and management of haemolytic disease in newborns and other group incompatibilities. Also haemorrhagic disease of the newborn.

-Indications and risks of transfusion, management of transfusion reaction and blood -transfusion practice / services.

PAT 373: PRACTICAL HAEMATOLOGY (1 CREDIT)

400 LEVEL CLASS

PAT 472: DISEASES OF BLOOD (3 CREDITS)

Course objectives:

At the end of the course the student should be able to list and describe diseases of human blood.

Teaching & Learning Methods:

Lectures, tutorials

Problem based learning.

Evaluation

MCQ (True-False items, Essay, Practical)

Content

Coagulation

-Haemostatic mechanism

-Use of clinical and laboratory tests of haemostasis

-Diagnosis and management of coagulopathies

1.                   Anticoagulation in haematology

2.                   Inherited disorders of coagulation including the haemophilias and von Willebrand’s disease

3.                   Acquired disorders of coagulation including disseminated intravascular coagulation

4.                   Thrombotic diathesis, the purpuras and platelet abnormalities (thrombosis, anti-thrombotic therapy, vascular and platelet disorders)

Oncology

-The acute leukaemias.

-The chronic leukaemias

-Malignant lymphomas

1.                   Hodgkin’s disease

2.                   Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

3.                   Burkitt’s lymphoma

Non-leukaemic myeloproliferative disorders

1.                   Polycythaemia rubra vera

2.                   Myelofibrosis

3.                   Essential thrombocythaemia

-Plasma cell dyscrasias including multiple myeloma and para proteinaemias

-Abdominal malignancies

-Side effects of chemotherapy

-Late effects of cancer treatment.

Other haematological disorders

-Iron, Folic acid and vitamin B₁₂ metabolism

1.                   Nutritional anaemias

-     Iron deficiency anaemia (and other hypochromic anaemias)

-          Megaloblastic anaemias (and other macrocytic anaemias)

-          Anaemia in infancy and childhood

2.                   The haemoglobinopathies

3.                   The porphyrias

4.                   Red cell membrane disorders

5.                   Red cell enzymopathies / lysosomal enzymology

6.                   Bone marrow failures

                        -    Aplastic anaemia

                        -    Myelodysplatic syndrome

7.                   Acquired haemolytic anaemias

8.                   Malaria

9.                   Splenomegaly in the tropics and its investigations

                        -    Hypersplenism

                        -    Hyperimmune malarial splenomegaly syndrome

10.               Haematological findings in HIV/AIDS

11.               Haematological changes in infancy, childhood, pregnancy and Geriatrics

12.               Paternity disputes

Basic research methodology in Haematology including manuscript writing and research grant proposal writing

Basic Computer Science in Haematology

Ethics in Haematology.

PAT 572: POSTING IN HAEMATOLOGY & BLOOD BANK (4 CREDITS)

PAT 573: TUTORIAL IN MORBID ANATOMY & HAEMATOLOGY  (2 CREDITS)

600 LEVEL CLASS

Pathology seminars to be regularly organised by all pathology departments.