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Haematology key concepts

3 revision pages for Haematology, each with the key facts, a memory aid where one helps, and the exam traps.

  1. Absolute versus relative polycythaemia

    Polycythaemia is a raised haematocrit (the fraction of blood volume taken up by red cells), either from more red cells or from a reduced plasma volume.

  2. Anaemia of chronic disease: hepcidin and functional iron deficiency

    In anaemia of chronic disease, also called anaemia of inflammation, hepcidin (the hormone that controls iron release) makes iron present but unavailable to the bone marrow.

  3. Erythropoietin and hypoxia: how the kidney raises red cell production

    Erythropoietin (EPO), a hormone made mainly in the kidney in response to hypoxia (low oxygen supply to tissues), keeps cells committed to becoming red cells alive in the marrow.

Practice Haematology questions