Book Review
Advanced Laboratory Methods in Haematology
Edited by R. Martin Rowan, Onno W. Van Assendelft, F. Eric Preston
London: Edward Arnold Publishers (US Distributors, Oxford University Press, New York, NY); 2002: 452 pages
Reviewed by Bruce H. Davis
Excerpt:
This multiauthored text should be viewed as the bible of laboratory hematology (or haematology, depending on which English-speaking country one resides in). The author list reads like the Who's Who of laboratory hematology and is composed largely of former and present members of the International Council for Standardization in Haematology (ISLH). Members of ISLH will recognize the names of many of the authors in this text as authorities in the field and frequent presenters at annual ISLH meetings. Hence the focus of the text is a summary of how best to perform and standardize all methods used in laboratory hematology. The completeness of the subject coverage is exemplified by the attention given to both manual methodologies (hematcrits, cell counts, and sedimentation rates) and newer technologies, such as flow cytometry and high-performance liquid chromatography. Another strength of this reference book is the total coverage of methodologies from cell counting to hemoglobinopathy evaluations to coagulation testing. The British and European influence of this text is evident in not only the spelling of haematology but also the incorporation of discussions on the clinical relevance of laboratory practice and practical advice on therapeutic monitoring, such as heparin therapy and anemia treatment. This incorporation of clinical relevance into laboratory practice makes this text a more complete reference than most clinical pathology publications from those countries that use the spelling hematology.
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