Blood Results in Clinical Practice: A practical guide to interpreting blood test results

This book was originally written after feedback suggested that storytelling was very helpful to students and practitioners wanting to remember blood tests and their implications. Each section, where appropriate, therefore contains a story , as well as an overview of the relevant anatomy, physiology and biochemistry. This revised, updated edition continues to use storytelling to aid understanding, and introduces a unique 10-point system to help explain blood results. The use of storytelling has also been significantly improved and refined, following several years of feedback on the first edition. Less formal than a biochemistry textbook and containing more narrative than an online protocol, Blood Results in Clinical Practice provides an excellent, accessible introduction to blood tests and what they mean. It also enables advanced practitioners to reflect on and improve their practice; and includes new and updated sections of relevance to physiotherapists, paramedics, pharmacists and advanced nurse practitioners. Finally, it provides a resource for patients and their relatives who may be keen to know more about the meaning and function of particular blood tests. Contents include: Understanding blood tests What are we actually measuring and why does this matter? Family groups Case study: Interpreting abnormal results The full blood count, anaemia and infection Coagulation and deep vein thrombosis Inflammatory markers Autoimmune conditions Transfusion testing Management of long-term conditions, chronic disease markers: Diabetes Management of long-term conditions, chronic disease markers: Cholesterol Management of long-term conditions, chronic disease markers: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acid base Thyroid function Bone profile Renal function: Urea and electrolytes, and gout Liver function tests