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Determination of Complete Blood Count Reference Intervals by an Indirect Method for Newborns, Adults, and Geriatric
Insights
This study established comprehensive reference intervals for 22 complete blood count parameters across all age groups, from newborns to the elderly. The indirect method used provides reliable clinical decision-making data comparable to direct methods.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Laboratory Science
- Hematology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Reliable reference intervals are essential for accurate clinical decision-making.
- Existing reference intervals for many parameters and age groups are limited.
- This study addresses the need for comprehensive reference intervals across the lifespan.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine complete blood count (CBC) reference intervals for a wide age range, from newborn to geriatric.
- To utilize an indirect method for reference interval determination.
- To provide regional data for improved clinical diagnostics.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 14,014,912 CBC test results from Marmara University Pendik E&R Hospital.
- Utilized data from January 2018 to May 2019 via the laboratory information system.
- Employed the Unicel DxH 800 Coulter Cellular Analysis System and followed CLSI C28-A3 guidelines for indirect reference interval determination.
Main Results:
- Established reference intervals for 22 hematology parameters, including hemoglobin, hematocrit, RBC indices, WBC counts and differentials, and platelet parameters.
- Covered all age groups: infants, children, adolescents, adults, and geriatric individuals.
- Successfully applied an indirect method for broad-spectrum reference interval generation.
Conclusions:
- Reference intervals derived from clinical laboratory databases using an indirect method are comparable to those obtained through direct methods.
- The established intervals provide valuable data for clinical practice and decision-making.
- This study contributes to the availability of age-specific reference intervals for key hematological parameters.
Background:
The availability of a reliable reference interval is crucial for clinical decision-making. Correctly defined reference intervals for different age groups are currently unavailable for many parameters. Our study aimed to determine the complete blood count reference intervals in our region from newborn to geriatric ages with an indirect method.
Methods:
The study was carried out at Marmara University Pendik E&R Hospital Biochemistry Laboratory between January 2018 and May 2019 using the laboratory information system data. The complete blood count (CBC) measurements were performed by Unicel DxH 800 Coulter Cellular Analysis System (Beckman Coulter, FL, USA). A total of 14,014,912 test results belonging to infants, children, adolescents, adults, and geriatric ages were collected. We analyzed 22 CBC parameters, and an indirect method was used for reference interval determination. Data were analyzed according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) C28-A3 guideline for defining, establishing, and verifying reference intervals in the clinical laboratory.
Results:
We have established reference intervals from newborn to geriatric ages for 22 hematology parameters [hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), red blood cell (RBC), mean red cell volume (MCV), mean red cell hemoglobin (MCH), mean red cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), red cell distribution width (RDW), white blood cell (WBC) count, WBC differentials, including percentages and absolute counts, platelet count, platelet distribution width (PDW), mean platelet volume (MPV) and plateletcrit (PCT)].
Conclusions:
Our study showed that reference intervals established with data obtained from clinical laboratory databases are comparable to those created using direct methods.
