Haematology profiles at Plymouth Hospital

Haematology profiles are tests to assess your blood and look for abnormalities that might indicate a problem.

A Full Blood Count (FBC) will assess your blood examining the white and red cells in your blood.  The test may also include looking at an indication of inflammation called the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR).

Anaemia is a condition in which the oxygen carrying pigment in red blood cells (haemoglobin) is below normal. Anaemia can occur for a variety of reasons including low levels of iron - a constituent of haemoglobin.

Types of anaemia include:

• Aplastic anaemia - caused by a failure of the bone marrow to produce initial forms of blood cells
• Iron deficiency - the most common form of anaemia worldwide is due to a deficiency of iron due to inadequate intake or loss of body iron (due to blood loss)
• Megaloblastic anaemia - caused by a deficiency of vitamin B12 or folic acid affecting production of red blood cells
• Pernicious anaemia - resulting from a substance in the stomach (intrinsic factor) being reduced or absent resulting in B12 deficiency
• Haemolytic anaemia - caused by the premature destruction of red cells in the system.

Haematology screens are also be used to detect other infections or blood disorders.