Articles & Insights

General Non-malignant Haematology

How Venesection Removes Iron in Haemochromatosis

Therapeutic venesection, or phlebotomy, is the standard treatment for iron overload in hereditary haemochromatosis. The principle is simple: remove blood, and you remove iron. Understanding the basic arithmetic helps explain why genuine iron overload usually takes many venesections to correct, and why a very rapid fall in ferritin after only a few venesections may suggest that the original ferritin elevation was not due entirely to excess iron.

Ivo Andrejco · 28 Oct 2026

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General Non-malignant Haematology

Can vitamin C slow early blood cancers?

Short answer: not in the way researchers hoped — but a new trial turned up a surprise worth watching. I recently presented a 2026 study to colleagues that tested a simple idea. Could a daily vitamin C tablet slow down early, slow-growing blood disorders that sometimes turn into leukaemia? The trial, called EVITA, was run by Danish and US researchers and published in the journal Cancer.

Ivo Andrejco · 12 Oct 2026

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Professionals Non-malignant Haematology

Easy bruising

Easy bruising is a very common reason for referral to a haematologist that rarely results in the diagnosis of a serious underlying bleeding disorder

Ivo Andrejco · 10 Mar 2026

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Professionals Non-malignant Haematology

Erythrocytosis

The haemoglobin, haematocrit and red blood cell count reference ranges will vary depending on the age, gender and pregnancy status of the patient, as well as the laboratory performing the test. In general, a haemoglobin > 165 g/L in males and >145 g/L in females; and a haematocrit > 0.5 in males and > 0.44 in females is considered elevated. An elevated haematocrit should be demonstrated on more than one occasion to ensure the change is not artefactual.

Ivo Andrejco · 10 Mar 2026

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Professionals Non-malignant Haematology

FBC abnormalities in liver disease

Chronic liver disease is associated with a range of full blood count abnormalities. The mechanisms of these changes are multifactorial and can be related to portal hypertension with splenomegaly/ hypersplenism, marrow suppression from medication or alcohol use, reduced thrombopoietin production and chronic viral infections associated with liver disease (e.g. hepatitis C).

Ivo Andrejco · 10 Mar 2026

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Professionals Non-malignant Haematology

Leukocytosis

The white blood cell count reference range will vary depending on the age, gender and pregnancy status of the patient, as well as the laboratory performing the test. In general, the white blood cell count is considered elevated when it is above 11 x 109/L.

Ivo Andrejco · 10 Mar 2026

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Professionals Non-malignant Haematology

High Ferritin

Elevated ferritin is a common reason for referral to the haematology clinic. The vast majority of patients with elevated ferritin will not have an underlying disease which is within the scope of a haematologist. Assessment of elevated ferritin should always take into account transferrin saturation, along with a full blood count, renal and liver function tests. The algorithm below will assist in sorting out the likely cause.

Ivo Andrejco · 10 Mar 2026

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Professionals Non-malignant Haematology

Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia

Iron deficiency is the most common micronutrient deficiency worldwide and the predominant cause of anaemia, which affects one‐quarter of the global population. In Australia, 22.3% of women have depleted iron stores (serum ferritin level < 30 μg/L), with pre‐menopausal women disproportionately affected. In contrast, 3.5% of men are iron deficient.

Ivo Andrejco · 10 Mar 2026

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Patients Non-malignant Haematology

Living With Mild Chronic Neutropenia: When “Abnormal” Blood Counts Are Actually Benign

A perspective from the clinic Yesterday I saw a patient whose story is actually quite common in haematology clinics. He had mild neutropenia — a slightly reduced neutrophil count — that had been present for as long as records existed, going back nearly 20 years. Over that time he had remained completely well, with no unusual infections or health problems.

Ivo Andrejco · 10 Mar 2026

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Professionals Non-malignant Haematology

Lymphopenia

Lymphopenia is a common finding from a full blood count, especially in elderly patients, where it is usually of no clinical significance. No further investigation is advised in an elderly patient with a lymphocyte count >0.5×109/L in the absence of any concerning symptoms. Symptomatic patients with persistent lymphopenia should be referred to the most appropriate specialty based on clinical and laboratory features

Ivo Andrejco · 10 Mar 2026

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