Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
LGC Clinical Diagnostics

Download Mobile App




Peripheral Blood Smears Still Need Evaluation

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 22 Jun 2017
When the first automated hematology analyzers appeared in clinical laboratories in the 1960s, they ushered in a welcomed workflow change for bench technologists. More...
These automated analyzers replaced hemocytometers, though the need for differential counting remained.

This evolution in hematology workflows has continued to this day, with automated instruments performing ever more cellular analysis, resulting in more focused roles for technologists and pathologists. However, certain characteristics of peripheral blood morphology still do not lend themselves easily to evaluation by automated analyzers.

A clinical associate professor at the University of Florida (Gainesville, FL, USA) has written that one limitation that has remained constant from the earliest hematology analyzers to today’s cutting-edge flow cytometers is that a single cell still must pass through an aperture for analysis. In order to maintain laminar flow, the cell must also be sphered, which is most often accomplished with a proprietary sphering reagent. The exact classification of abnormally shaped red cells, for example, sickle cells, target cells, and schistocytes, still requires morphologic review of stained slides.

In addition red cell and white cell inclusions, particularly infectious organisms such as malaria or histoplasmosis, can be seen in stained blood smears but are not routinely detected by most automated hematology analyzers. Because of the extensive morphologic variability of many circulating hematologic malignancies, automated systems cannot precisely characterize these cells. Most analyzers, however, aid in characterizing these cells by pre-classifying them as abnormal (through large unstained cell classification or flagging) and prompting manual review of slides.

Analyzers that have digital morphology capabilities, such as the CellaVision or the Bloodhound systems, are inaugurating a new era of cellular analysis. As these instruments’ algorithms continue to be refined, this technology might evolve from a pre-classifier method to a more enhanced and robust method for precise characterization. The accuracy of an automated differential count depends on the analytical system used. However, given that most automated counters literally characterize thousands of white cells for each analysis, the classic 100-cell manual differential count in comparison falls short when it comes to precision. Sherri D. Flax, MD, published her article on June 1, 2017, in the journal Clinical Laboratory News.

Related Links:
University of Florida


New
Gold Member
Latex Test
SLE-Latex Test
Serological Pipet Controller
PIPETBOY GENIUS
New
Gold Member
Serological Pipets
INTEGRA Serological Pipets
New
Automated PCR Setup
ESTREAM
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Immunology

view channel
Image: A simple blood test could replace surgical biopsies for early detecion of heart transplant rejection (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Blood Test Detects Organ Rejection in Heart Transplant Patients

Following a heart transplant, patients are required to undergo surgical biopsies so that physicians can assess the possibility of organ rejection. Rejection happens when the recipient’s immune system identifies... Read more

Pathology

view channel
These images illustrate how precision oncology Organ Chips recapitulate individual patients’ responses to chemotherapy (Photo courtesy of Wyss Institute at Harvard University)

Cancer Chip Accurately Predicts Patient-Specific Chemotherapy Response

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), one of the two primary types of esophageal cancer, ranks as the sixth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and currently lacks effective targeted therapies.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.