Canadian Medical Guide > Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment > Diagnosis > Laboratory Techniques and Procedures > Hematologic Tests Terms and Definitions

Hematologic Tests

Medical Definition:	Tests used in the analysis of the hemic system.
Guide Notes:	GEN: prefer specifics; does not include BLOOD CHEMICAL ANALYSIS or SEROLOGIC TESTS; NIM; do not use /util except by MeSH definition; DF: HEMATOL TESTS
Previously Indexed:	Hematology (1966-1977)

Hematologic Tests Categories.

	Blood Cell Count - The number of LEUKOCYTES and ERYTHROCYTES per unit volume in a sample of venous BLOOD. A complete blood count (CBC) also includes measurement of the HEMOGLOBIN; HEMATOCRIT; and ERYTHROCYTE INDICES.
	Blood Coagulation Tests - Laboratory tests for evaluating the individual's clotting mechanism.
	Blood Grouping and Crossmatching - Testing erythrocytes to determine presence or absence of blood-group antigens, testing of serum to determine the presence or absence of antibodies to these antigens, and selecting biocompatible blood by crossmatching samples from the donor against samples from the recipient. Crossmatching is performed prior to transfusion.
	Blood Sedimentation - Measurement of rate of settling of erythrocytes in anticoagulated blood.
	Bone Marrow Examination - Removal of bone marrow and evaluation of its histologic picture.
	Erythrocyte Aggregation - The formation of clumps of RED BLOOD CELLS under low or non-flow conditions, resulting from the attraction forces between the red blood cells. The cells adhere to each other in rouleaux aggregates. Slight mechanical force, such as occurs in the circulation, is enough to disperse these aggregates. Stronger or weaker than normal aggregation may result from a variety of effects in the ERYTHROCYTE MEMBRANE or in BLOOD PLASMA. The degree of aggregation is affected by ERYTHROCYTE DEFORMABILITY, erythrocyte membrane sialylation, masking of negative surface charge by plasma proteins, etc. BLOOD VISCOSITY and the ERYTHROCYTE SEDIMENTATION RATE are affected by the amount of erythrocyte aggregation and are parameters used to measure the aggregation.
	Erythrocyte Indices - ERYTHROCYTE size and HEMOGLOBIN content or concentration, usually derived from ERYTHROCYTE COUNT; BLOOD hemoglobin concentration; and HEMATOCRIT. The indices include the mean corpuscular volume (MCV), the mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and the mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC).
	FIGLU Test - A urine test for formiminoglutamic acid, an intermediate metabolite in L-histidine catabolism in the conversion of L-histidine to L-glutamic acid. It may be an indicator of vitamin B12 or folic acid deficiency or liver disease.
	Hematocrit - The volume of packed RED BLOOD CELLS in a blood specimen. The volume is measured by centrifugation in a tube with graduated markings, or with automated blood cell counters. It is an indicator of erythrocyte status in disease. For example, ANEMIA shows a low value; POLYCYTHEMIA, a high value.
	Hemoglobinometry - Measurement of hemoglobin concentration in blood.
	Osmotic Fragility - RED BLOOD CELL sensitivity to change in OSMOTIC PRESSURE. When exposed to a hypotonic concentration of sodium in a solution, red cells take in more water, swell until the capacity of the cell membrane is exceeded, and burst.
	Platelet Function Tests

Hematologic Tests Medical Definitions and Terms

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