07/02/2026
An evidence-focused, exam-friendly walkthrough of anaemia from a laboratory perspective — learn how to read the CBC, interpret red-cell indices (MCV, MCH, RDW), recognise blood-film inclusions, assess the reticulocyte response and decide when bone marrow aspiration or trephine biopsy is needed.
In this video we cover:
Morphological classification of anaemia: how to use MCV (mean corpuscular volume) as the primary marker to separate microcytic, normocytic and macrocytic anaemia.
Physiological variation in MCV (newborns, infancy, pregnancy) and practical cut-offs used in lab practice.
Common causes under each category: iron deficiency, thalassaemia, anaemia of chronic disease, megaloblastic (B12/folate) anaemia, alcohol/liver disease, sideroblastic anaemia, haemolysis, acute blood loss, renal disease and mixed deficiencies.
How to interpret red cell indices (MCV, MCH) together with RDW and RBC count to narrow differential diagnoses.
Reticulocyte count: absolute and percentage ranges, the reticulocyte response timeline after haemorrhage or haemolysis, and how retics distinguish regenerative vs non-regenerative (bone marrow) responses. Learn causes of low reticulocyte response — marrow hypoplasia/infiltration, iron/B12/folate deficiency, lack of erythropoietin (renal disease), ineffective erythropoiesis (thalassaemia major, megaloblastic anaemia, myelodysplasia).
Peripheral blood film: step-by-step approach to blood smear interpretation, key red cell morphologies and inclusions — Howell–Jolly bodies, basophilic stippling, Heinz bodies, Pappenheimer (siderotic) granules — and what each finding suggests clinically.
Bone marrow examination: indications and differences between bone marrow aspiration and trephine biopsy, sites (posterior iliac crest, sternum, tibia in infants), stains (Romanowsky, Perls’ iron stain, H&E, reticulin) and special tests (flow cytometry, cytogenetics, FISH, molecular studies).
Ineffective erythropoiesis and how to integrate marrow cellularity, the myeloid : erythroid (M:E) ratio, reticulocyte count and haemoglobin to assess total vs effective erythropoiesis.
A clear diagnostic workflow / anemia workup you can apply in the lab: CBC interpretation → reticulocyte assessment → targeted biochemical tests (iron studies, B12/folate, LFTs, LDH, bilirubin) → blood film review → when to proceed to bone marrow.
This tutorial is ideal for medical students, laboratory scientists, residents and clinicians who want a practical, lab-first approach to anaemia. If you find it useful, please Like, Subscribe and turn on notifications for more hematology & lab medicine tutorials.
