CPD: Red Cells – Essential Blood Cell Morphology

Dr Ali Mahdi · May 8, 2023

Welcome to this online course on red cell morphology. This course is part of the Essential Blood Cell Morphology series.

By the end of this course, you will have a comprehensive understanding of the subject and the knowledge and skills required to practice in this field confidently.

Course details

The course will cover the following topics in detail:

  1. Introduction and basic concepts: you will be introduced to the basic concepts related to red blood cells (RBCs) and their morphology. You will learn about the importance of RBCs in human physiology, their main functions, and the basic structure of RBCs. Additionally, you will be introduced to some key terminology and concepts related to the study of RBC morphology, such as poikilocytosis and anisocytosis.
  2. Introduction to morphology: In this section, you will delve deeper into the morphology of RBCs, discussing their size, shape, and color. You will be introduced to the different types of RBCs, including microcytic, normocytic, and macrocytic cells, and will learn how to identify them. 
  3. Changes in size and shape: you will explore the different changes that can occur in RBC size and shape, including spherocytosis, and elliptocytosis. You will learn about the causes of these changes, as well as their diagnostic significance.
  4. Cell inclusions and changes in arrangement: you will focus on the different cell inclusions that can be present in RBCs, including Howell-Jolly bodies and Heinz bodies. You will also learn about changes in RBC arrangement, such as rouleaux formation and agglutination.
  5. Immature red cell proliferations: In this section, you will be introduced to the different types of immature RBC proliferations, such as reticulocytes and nucleated RBCs. You will learn about the causes of these proliferations, as well as their diagnostic significance. 

We will use video tutorials with English captions and an end-of-course assessment that awards a certificate upon successful completion.

It is estimated this course will take you 1-2 hours to complete.

The target audience for this course are:

  • Biomedical scientists/medical laboratory scientists
  • Haematology trainees and consultants
  • Haematopathology trainees and specialists

Your course certificate will be available for download after successfully completing the course assessment. If you have difficulty downloading your certificate, please email admin@blood-academy.com for further assistance.

By accessing this website and participating in this course, you agree to the conditions outlined in our ‘Terms of Use’ and ‘Privacy Policy’ pages. We strongly recommend you review these pages. 

About our tutor

Dr Ali Mahdi

Dr Ali Mahdi

Dr Ali Mahdi is a Consultant Haematologist at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board in South Wales. His specialist interests include haematology diagnostics and myeloid malignancies. He co-founded Blood Academy and has a keen interest in medical education. Dr Mahdi has also acted as principal investigator in several clinical trials for myeloid malignancies and is a member of the NCRI group for chronic myeloid leukaemia.

About Instructor

Dr Ali Mahdi

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Program Includes

  • 5 Lessons
  • 1 Assessment
  • Program Certificate