Summary
Introduction. Modern hematology analyzers are an integral part of laboratory medicine and clinical practice. Additionally, complete blood count is an inexpensive, simple and widely used globally. Interpretation of haematological test results is required for the diagnosis and screening of various diseases, differential diagnosis, treatment follow-up, and prognosis of patients. Automated haematology devices further increase the efficiency and accuracy of complete blood count. In addition to traditional tests, new parameters, namely, monocyte distribution width, atypical lymphocytes, immature granulocytes, immature platelet fraction and others, are increasingly integrated in the analysis results.
Aim of the study. To perform literature analysis and provide examples of clinical significance of new parameters of modern haematology analyzers.
Methods. Literature search was done in Medline (PubMed) data base and through EFML (European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine) access of accredited journals. The time period of the search was not limited. Keywords included: automated haematology analyzers, complete blood count, automated leukemia parameters, new parameters, clinical significance. Articles were chosen without a predetermined protocol of inclusion and was based on the aim of the study.
Conclusions. There is an increasing number of studies examining the benefits of new parameters in the differential diagnosis and screening of various infectious and inflammatory diseases, in the prognosis of oncological or other chronic diseases or in decision-making of various therapeutical interventions. The new parameters of haematology analyzers also complement the traditional test results, providing more accuracy and specificity. Thus, the studies discussed suggest that new advanced indices of leukocytes, and platelets may provide additional information to medical laboratories and physicians, and further studies confirming their benefits will facilitate the diagnosis, treatment planning, and assessment of patients.
