This is a unique online course which teaches students the basics of blood film analysis. This course is specifically tailored to those with a background in Medical Science, Medicine or Pathology who are studying or starting work in a haematology laboratory but also serves as a valuable continuing education resource. To be successful in this course, access to a haematology laboratory is desirable but not essential.
This is not a textbook or a laborious examination of every blood film abnormality but rather focusses on the approach – both an overall method for analysing a blood film, and a framework for analysing quantitative and qualitative changes in blood cells.
At each step students are taught a method, provided with the theoretical framework for interpreting abnormalities, and shown examples of abnormalities highlighting their clinical significance. This is reinforced with frequent in-lecture interactive quizzes, end of lecture mcqs, and suggested lab exercises which engage the student with the laboratory and their colleagues.
At the end of each module and at the end of the whole series are summative assessments which must be successfully completed to attain the course certificate.
This 'Course Introduction' Module 1 describes the background to the blood film. It provides you with an overview of what takes place in a laboratory when a film of blood is analyzed. '1.1 - Course Overview' describes the background to the blood film. It explains how a FBC analyser works in '1.2 - The Analyser' and the potential sources of error in analyser results. It then explains which blood counts should trigger the making of a blood film and how that blood film is made in '1.3 - Importance of Making a Blood Film'. The '1.4 - A methodical approach to blood film analysis' lesson ends by suggesting and demonstrating a systematic method for blood film analysis. Module 1 ends with a graded 'End of Module 1 Quiz' for you to complete and a supplementary reading list.
Pre-analytical Step 1 - Collecting the blood•1 minute
Pre-analytical Step 2 - Spreading the film•1 minute
Pre-analytical Step 3 - Preparing the slide•2 minutes
Identifying and fixing staining problems•2 minutes
Looking at a blood film•5 minutes
Analyzing the blood film methodically•1 minute
Analyzing red cells•5 minutes
Analyzing white cells•4 minutes
Analyzing platelets & film comment•2 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
Supplementary Readings for Module 1•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 60 minutes
End of 1.2 Quiz•30 minutes
End of Module 1 Quiz •30 minutes
2 peer reviews•Total 240 minutes
Practical Learning Activity 1.2 •120 minutes
Practical Learning Activity 1.4•120 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
Tell your supervisor or a senior lab colleague that you are undertaking this course. •10 minutes
2 plugins•Total 30 minutes
Your Location Survey•15 minutes
Competency Survey•15 minutes
Red Cell Morphology
Module 2•6 hours to complete
Module details
This 'Red Cell Morphology' module takes you through a systematic method of examination of red cell morphology. It starts with a basic approach in '2.1 Red Cell Morphology Basics', then examines red cell quantity and red cell quality in '2.2 Describing Microcytic, Macrocytic and Normocytic Anaemias in blood films' and '2.3 Recognising and describing common poikilocoytes'. At each step, you are taught a method, provided with the theoretical framework for interpreting abnormalities, and shown examples of abnormalities highlighting their clinical significance in '2.4 Recognising and describing red cell inclusion'. 'The 'Red Cell Morphology' Module ends with a graded 'End of Module 2 Quiz' and a supplementary reading list.
What's included
22 videos1 reading3 assignments2 peer reviews
Show info about module content
22 videos•Total 50 minutes
Overview of Red Cell Morphology Basics•1 minute
Agglutination•1 minute
Rouleaux•1 minute
Nucleated red blood cells & Polychromasia•4 minutes
Red Cells Size•5 minutes
Microcytic Anaemia: Iron Deficiency•3 minutes
Microcytic Anaemia: Haemoglobinopathies•4 minutes
Macrocytic Anaemia: Megaloblastic •2 minutes
Macrocytic Anaemia: Non-Megaloblastic•2 minutes
Dimorphic Red Cells•2 minutes
Normocytic Anaemia - including Haemolysis•4 minutes
This 'White Cell Morphology' Module 3 takes you through a systematic method of examination of white cell morphology, following the template for blood film analysis in '3.1 A framework for analysing white cell quantitative disorders'. It starts by examining problems of white cell quantity, then examines the many important variants of white cell quality by using a a unique structured process for analysing an abnormal white cell population in '3.2 Analyzing an abnormal leukocyte population'. This takes you through the morphology of reactive white cells, lymphoproliferative diseases, leukaemias and myelodysplasia in '3.3 Analysing lymphoproliferative disorders', '3.4 Analysing acute leukaemias' and '3.5 Examining qualitative changes in white cells' . At each step you are taught a method, provided with the theoretical framework for interpreting abnormalities, and shown examples of abnormalities highlighting their clinical significance. You will be required to complete a grade End of Module 3 quiz and look up the supplementary reading list.
What's included
31 videos1 reading4 assignments3 peer reviews
Show info about module content
31 videos•Total 80 minutes
Review of white cell morphology•2 minutes
Framework for leukocytosis•3 minutes
Neutrophilia•5 minutes
Neutrophilia in bone marrow disorders•3 minutes
Neutropenia•1 minute
Lymphocytosis•2 minutes
Eosinophilia•1 minute
Monocytosis•1 minute
Basophilia•1 minute
Introducing the methodical approach - 9 Parameters•3 minutes
Parameter 1 - Pleomorphic or Monomorphic (Same or Different)•2 minutes
Parameter 2 - Size•1 minute
Parameter 3 - N/C Ratio •1 minute
Parameters 4 - 6: Nucleus•2 minutes
Parameters 7 - 8: Cytoplasm •1 minute
Parameter 9: Company the cells keep•5 minutes
Grouping lymphoproliferative diseases•1 minute
Group 1 - Small, mature lymphocytes•5 minutes
Group 2 - Mature lymphocytes with cytoplasmic projections•4 minutes
Group 3 - Cells with eccentric cytoplasm•4 minutes
Group 4 - Large cells lymphomas •2 minutes
Group 5 - T cells lymphoproliferative disorders•3 minutes
Group 6 - NK cells lymphopreliferative disorders•2 minutes
Steps to analysing acute leukaemia•2 minutes
Step 1 - Is it acute leukaemia?•1 minute
Step 2 - Is it APML?•3 minutes
Step 3 - What type of acute leukaemia is it?•11 minutes
Lymphocytes•2 minutes
Neutrophils•6 minutes
Monocytes•1 minute
Myelodysplasia•1 minute
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
Supplementary Readings for Module 3•10 minutes
4 assignments•Total 120 minutes
End of 3.1 Quiz •30 minutes
End of 3.3 Quiz •30 minutes
End of 3.5 Quiz •30 minutes
End of Module 3 Quiz•30 minutes
3 peer reviews•Total 360 minutes
Practical Learning Activity 3.1•120 minutes
Practical Learning Activity 3.2 •120 minutes
Practical Learning Activity 3.4•120 minutes
The 4Ps of Morphology - Platelets, Pregnancy, Paediatrics and Parasites
Module 4•10 hours to complete
Module details
This '4Ps of Morphology - Platelets, Pregnancy, Paediatrics and Parasites' module deals with an assortment of important specific areas of blood film morphology. It first completes the systematic analysis of the blood film by discussing quantitative and qualitative changes in platelets in '4.1 Platelets (Thrombocytopenia & Thrombocytosis)'. In '4.2 Pregnancy', we then discuss the important physiologic and pathologic changes in the FBC and film during pregnancy. The '4.3 Paediatric' lecture emphasises that children are not just little adults by showing how the normal ranges for the FBC and normal appearance of films can differ at different ages, and then discussing a framework for morphologic diagnosis in paediatric anaemia, thrombocytopenia and pancytopenia. The '4.4 Parasite' lesson concludes with a review of malaria – demonstrating the lifecycle of the parasite, the morphologic appearance of different species, and a system to distinguish between different species. You are expected to complete a graded 'End of Module 4' quiz and look up the supplementary reading list.
What's included
19 videos1 reading3 assignments4 peer reviews
Show info about module content
19 videos•Total 47 minutes
Thrombocytopenia - Approach•4 minutes
Thrombocytopenia - Examples•2 minutes
Thrombocytosis•3 minutes
Platelet quality•2 minutes
Changes in a normal pregnancy•1 minute
Pathology in pregnancy•4 minutes
Normal ranges in children•2 minutes
Pathology: Anaemia•6 minutes
Pathology: Thrombocytopenia•1 minute
Pathology: Pancytopenia•2 minutes
Pathology: Leukocytosis•4 minutes
The Scale of Malaria•1 minute
The lifecycle of parasites•1 minute
Film staining and terminology•3 minutes
P Falciparum•2 minutes
P Vivax•1 minute
P Ovale•1 minute
P Malariae•1 minute
An Approach to Malaria Diagnosis•4 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
Supplementary Readings for Module 4•10 minutes
3 assignments•Total 90 minutes
End of 4.1 Quiz •30 minutes
End of 4.2 Quiz •30 minutes
End of Module 4 Quiz•30 minutes
4 peer reviews•Total 480 minutes
Practical Learning Activity 4.1•120 minutes
Practical Learning Activity 4.2•120 minutes
Practical Learning Activity 4.3•120 minutes
Practical Learning Activity 4.4•120 minutes
Live Blood film analysis - Putting it all together
Module 5•2 hours to complete
Module details
In this 'Live Blood Film Analysis - Putting it all together' module, we demonstrate the use of our method for blood film analysis using videos of real slide examinations for the five cases. The presentation format for each case is similar: each case starts by providing a case history and full blood count (FBC) parameters. You are encouraged to consider a differential diagnosis (DDx) for each case. We will follow the template for blood film analysis. Finally we arrive at a morphologic conclusion and ask you how you can help the clinician reach a diagnosis based on the blood film. The case studies are not assessed. However, viewing them is necessary to see how we apply our method and integrate the concepts taught in Module 1 - 4. As this is a module putting everything you have learned together in individual case studies, there will be no graded 'End of Module 5 quiz' for you to complete
What's included
8 videos1 reading1 assignment
Show info about module content
8 videos•Total 60 minutes
Prologue to Case Studies•0 minutes
Case 1 - Microcytic anaemia •15 minutes
Case 2 - Anaemia and thrombocytopenia•13 minutes
Case 3 - Lymphocytosis•11 minutes
Case 4 - Acute leukaemia•10 minutes
Case 5 - Pancytopenia•10 minutes
Epilogue to Case Studies•0 minutes
End of Course Video•0 minutes
1 reading•Total 10 minutes
Bonus Case Study 6 and 7•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 60 minutes
End of Whole Course Quiz•60 minutes
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The University of Western Australia (UWA) was established in 1911 and continues to set the standard for other West Australian universities. Staff, students and graduates from the University have been recognised at state, national and international levels, and UWA continues to confirm its standing as one of Australia’s leading research-intensive universities. UWA's leaders and researchers work in partnership with three domestic and international networks, the Group of Eight, Matariki and the Worldwide Universities Network.
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