title: [Evaluation of the Beckman Coulter HmX hematology analyser at a general hospital].
abstract: The Beckman Coulter HmX is an hematological analyzer designed to provide a complete hematological profile including CBC, WBC differential (diff) and reticulocyte parameters. It has been evaluated in our laboratory over a two weeks period with three purposes: (1) a technical evaluation of the HmX performance, in regard to repeatability, linearity, carry over; (2) a comparison of numerical results (CBC, WBC diff) and analytical performance (flag sensitivity and specificity) with those obtained with the Coulter MaxM in use in our laboratory; (3) an analysis of the flagging algorithms using the blood smear as the reference method. The first part of the evaluation showed that the Beckman Coulter HmX is reproducible, and linear. The comparison between MaxM and HmX showed that the results given by the two instruments are similar and suggested that the Beckman Coulter HmX could replace the current hematology analyzer in use in our laboratory. The comparison of the flag system performance, between the Beckman Coulter HmX and the Coulter MaxM, has been performed with samples from three subgroups of patients (general departments, surgery and intensive care, hematological unit), and showed that the HmX is significantly more sensitive than the MaxM, with an higher global efficiency. The comparison of predictive values also showed a better performance of the HmX. In conclusion, the Beckman Coulter HmX is suited for an use in medium sized hospital laboratories (80 to 150 CBC diff/day), with good technical and analytical performance, a throughput of 75 samples/hr and a workstation allowing data management in accord with quality assurance guidelines in France.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de biologie, CH de Compiègne, 8, rue Henri-Adnot, ZAC de Mercières, BP 29, 60321 Compiègne cedex.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Darnige
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cluet-Dennetière
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Delavenne
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Belaouni
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fourcade
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D006403:Hematologic Tests / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity