Haematology and Immunology

The Haematology and Immunology posting shall be done at two stages; two major block postings together with the other arms of Pathology i.e. Chemical Pathology, Microbiology and parasitology, and Histopathogy /Morbid Anatomy at the inception of the clinical year, leading to the Part II MB;BS examination, and a two week course at the final year as part of lectures in internal Medicine.

The first contact at the block posting will lay emphasis on the fundamentals and of Haematologic and Immunologic disorders, the laboratory diagnosis as well as their management.

The second contact of two weeks duration in the final year is purely clinical and shall lay emphasis on some specific haematologic disorders of importance in the Tropics at the end of which the candidate is expected to demonstrate a good grasp of clinical management skills for these conditions.

The lectures are divided into two arms.

1. Haematology and Blood Transfusion
2. Immunology

Haematology and Blood Transfusion
Definition: Haematology is the study of blood formation and diseases of blood and blood forming organs. Blood transfusion covers all aspects of clinical practice in which whole blood, blood components and blood product is made use of in patient management, while serology (an arm of blood transfusion) is the study of red cell blood group antigens and corresponding antibodies in serum as both affect clinical practice.

The general objectives of the course are as follows:
Medical students shall be required to develop capacity to translate the knowledge acquire in the study of “blood physiology” in the preclinical years into baseline data for interpretation of Haematological disorders. They shall be expected to gain competence in understanding the development of erythrocyte, leucocyte and platelet; disorders of structure, maturation and function of erythrocyte, leucocyte and platelet as well as the clinical implications for the patient; Red cell antigens and serum antibodies as it concerns blood grouping and crossmatching; Physiology of haemostasis and manifestation of failure of haemostasis. Conscious emphasis shall be laid on acquisition of the drive to inquire into the how, why and what of Haematologic disorders and presentations.

Specific Course Objectives

At the end of the course each student should be able to:

• Collect, record and process blood specimen of patients. Specifically to be able to determine haematocrit, haemoglobin concentration, white cell and platelet counts.
• Make blood film, stain with Romanosky and examine it under microscope;
• Recognize the morphology of normal red cells, white cells and platelet;
• Recognize quantitative and qualitative abnormalities in red cells, white cells, and platelets and offer clinical interpretation for such.
• Determine the ABO and Rhesus blood groups
• Identify anti- A, anti- B and anti- A + B antibodies in sera.
• Understand the basic principles of blood transfusion, clinical use of blood and blood products as well as adverse effects of transfusion.
• Gain good clinical skills in the management of Haematologic emergencies such as crises in Sickle cell disorders, and other common haematologic emergencies.
• Carry out simple tests of blood clottings: – Thrombin time, prothrombin time, and Partial Thromboplastin time.
• Independently make use of the internet in consolidating and expanding personal frontiers of knowledge of Haematology.