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[Determination of full blood count normal reference values for adults in France]
Xavier Troussard1, Sylviane Vol2, Edouard Cornet1
1Laboratoire d'hématologie, CHU Côte de Nacre, Caen, France.
Insights
This study establishes normal reference values for the full blood count (FBC) in healthy adults across France. These findings aim to reduce laboratory variability and improve diagnostic accuracy for clinical practice.
Area of Science:
- Clinical chemistry
- Hematology
- Biostatistics
Context:
- The full blood count (FBC) is a widely used diagnostic tool in France, yet significant variability exists in its reference values among medical laboratories due to insufficient data.
- This variability can impede accurate patient diagnosis and treatment.
Purpose:
- To establish comprehensive, sex- and age-specific normal reference values for FBC parameters in a large, healthy adult population in France.
- To provide a standardized dataset for routine clinical use, thereby minimizing inter-laboratory discrepancies.
Summary:
- A large-scale study analyzed FBC data from 33,258 healthy adults (19,612 males, 13,646 females) aged 16–69 years, excluding individuals with conditions affecting FBC.
- Reference values were determined for standard FBC parameters, stratified by sex and age group.
- Additionally, FBC values were analyzed for 339 healthy individuals over 69 years old.
Impact:
- The proposed normal reference values offer a standardized benchmark for interpreting FBC results across metropolitan France.
- Implementation can enhance diagnostic precision, enabling clearer differentiation between normal physiological states and pathological conditions.
- This standardization is expected to improve the reliability and consistency of FBC testing in clinical practice.
Abstract:
The full blood count (FBC) is the most prescribed laboratory test in France. Due to the lack of data, there is a great variability in reference values of the FBC, between medical laboratories. The aim of this work was to provide normal reference values for FBC in adults. These normal values were defined in a population of 33 258 healthy adults, 19 612 men and 13 646 women. These values were determined after excluding subjects having conditions in order to modify, either directly or indirectly, FBC parameters. For each parameter, we provide results for values of standard parameters, by sex and age, from 16 to 69 years. In addition, we present FBC values from a population of 339 subjects aged over 69 years with no comorbidities. These normal values are proposed to be used in everyday practice. They make it possible to distinguish, without ambiguity, a normal situation from a pathological situation. Moreover, they can be applied to the entire metropolitan France.
