Cell counter-related abnormalities

Various spurious and artifactual results may be present in hematologic find ings and test results. Despite the presence of increasingly sophisticated h ematology cell counters, artifactual results may occur with any given param eter, with potentially serious results. Patients have been given antimicrob ial agents to treat pseudoleukocystosis, inappropriately not treated becaus e of masked leukopenia, inappropriately examined for pseudoincrease or pseu dodecrease in hematocrit, subjected to steroid therapy or splenectomy to tr eat pseudothrombocytopenia, or not given necessary platelet transfusions be cause of an artifactually elevated platelet count. Awareness of the spectru m of spurious or artifactual results may help to prevent such occurrences.