Hematology (spelled haematology in British English) is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the cause, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to blood.
Specialization
Physicians specialized in hematology are known as
hematologists or
haematologists.
Their routine work mainly includes the care and treatment of patients with hematological diseases, although some may also work at the hematology laboratory viewing
and
bone marrow slides under the
microscope, interpreting various hematological test results and blood clotting test results. In some institutions, hematologists also manage the hematology laboratory.
Physicians who work in hematology laboratories, and most commonly manage them, are pathologists specialized in the diagnosis of hematological diseases, referred to as
hematopathologists or
haematopathologists. Hematologists and hematopathologists generally work in conjunction to formulate a diagnosis and deliver the most appropriate therapy if needed. Hematology is a distinct subspecialty of internal medicine, separate from but overlapping with the subspecialty of medical
oncology. Hematologists may specialize further or have special interests, for example, in:
-
treating bleeding disorders such as hemophilia and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura,
-
treating hematological malignancies such as lymphoma and leukemia (cancers)
-
treating hemoglobinopathies, including α-thalassemias and β-thalassemias (thalassemia syndromes) and hemoglobin S, hemoglobin C, and hemoglobin E (abnormal hemoglobins).
-
the science of blood transfusion and the work of a blood bank, known as transfusion medicine
-
bone marrow and stem cell transplantation, especially with the use of technologies to extract and isolate hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs).
Training
Starting hematologists (in the US) complete a four-year medical degree followed by three or four more years in residency or internship programs. After completion, they further expand their knowledge by spending two or three more years learning how to experiment, diagnose, and treat blood disorders.
Some exposure to
hematopathology is typically included in their fellowship training. Job openings for hematologists require training in a recognized fellowship program to learn to diagnose and treat numerous blood-related benign conditions and
blood cancers. Hematologists typically work across specialties to care for patients with complex illnesses, such as sickle cell disease, who require complex, multidisciplinary care, and to provide consultation on cases of disseminated intravascular coagulation,
thrombosis and other conditions that can occur in hospitalized patients.
See also
