Related Experiment Videos
[Pseudothrombocytopenia: incidence, causes and methods of detection]
J García Suárez1, J L Merino, M Rodríguez
1Servicio de Hematología y Hemoterapia, Hospital Príncipe de Asturias, Universidad de Alcalá de Henares.
Sangre
|June 1, 1991
Summary
Pseudothrombocytopenia, a false low platelet count, occurred in 0.15% of outpatient blood samples, primarily due to EDTA-induced platelet clumping. Manual blood smear examination is crucial for accurate thrombocytopenia diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Clinical Pathology
Context:
- Routine clinical blood testing involves automated analyzers.
- Accurate platelet counts are vital for patient diagnosis and treatment.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the incidence and causes of pseudothrombocytopenia in an outpatient setting.
- To assess the diagnostic performance of the Coulter STKR autoanalyzer for platelet counts.
Summary:
- A prospective study of 20,761 outpatient blood specimens found a 0.15% incidence of pseudothrombocytopenia.
- EDTA-induced platelet clumping (72%) and large platelets (28%) were the main causes.
- The Coulter STKR autoanalyzer misidentified 49% of low platelet counts as pseudothrombocytopenia, sometimes with normal histograms.
Impact:
- Highlights the necessity of manual blood smear examination for thrombocytopenia, even with normal automated histograms.
- Prevents misdiagnosis and potentially dangerous medical or surgical interventions.
- Suggests careful interpretation of low platelet counts from automated analyzers in outpatient settings.