What is a bone marrow biopsy? Bone marrow is a soft, spongy tissue found inside the hollow interior of your bones. Bone marrow contains stem cells that produce different forms of blood cells: • White blood cells that create antibodies to fight infections • Red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body • Platelets that form clots to help stop bleeding from injury. Biopsy involves a sample of tissue taken from inside a bone (usually the hip bone) and is carefully examined in the laboratory under a microscope to detect any abnormal cells. A bone marrow biopsy is done to study the condition of your blood cells and bone marrow. You may be asked for a bone marrow biopsy if your blood cell count is abnormal. The test results can help diagnose abnormal conditions such as bone marrow disorders, anemia and cancer cells. Cancers that can affect the bone marrow include leukemia, lymphomas and myeloma. The procedureBlood pressure and heart rate are assessed by your healthcare professionals. Typically, you will be asked to lie on your stomach or side and the skin above the hip bone, just below the waist, will be cleaned with an antiseptic liquid. During this procedure, you will be fully awake, but a local anesthetic is injected into the skin area to numb the area which may sting for a few seconds. Before the injection, a sedative medication may be given to reduce anxiety and relax the body. An aspiration test then follows, a needle attached to a syringe is inserted into the anesthetized skin to collect one or more samples of liquid bone marrow, there may be a slight tingling sensation. Continued...... middle of paper ......at the puncture siteResultsYour sample is sent to a laboratory to be examined by a pathologist or hematologist. Results may take up to two weeks, but you should usually receive your results within a few days. Normal results will consist of an ordinary number of cells in the bone marrow, abnormal results may consist of an odd number of cells which may also include cancer cells. Abnormal results can lead to clinical decision making, in which a clinician makes a diagnosis. After the operation Any questions, concerns or complaints should be followed up with the hospital or your GP. For more information please visit: http://www.nhs.uk Works Citedhttp://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bone-marrow-biopsy/ http://www.patient.co.uk/health /bone-marrow-biopsy-and-aspiration http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/121745/clinical-decision-making