Hematology

The hematology division of the laboratory is the area where the white blood cells and red blood cells are examined. The white cells are those cells that are key in fighting infections and other disorders. Hospital laboratories typically have more than one hematology analyzer since a complete blood cell count (CBC) is a common physician order. Many abnormal CBC’s require the analysis of a blood smear under the microscope by a trained technologist and a pathologist. The blood smear can give clues to certain underlying disorders such as bone marrow-based cancers or infectious diseases.