title: Blood Contaminated Amniotic Fluid and the Lamellar Body Count Fetal Lung Maturity Test.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if maternal blood contamination falsely elevates the lamellar body count fetal lung maturity test.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty mothers undergoing amniocentesis for fetal lung maturity consented to participation in the study. For each participant a blood-contaminated sample using the patient's own blood was run in tandem with the noncontaminated sample used for clinical practice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 50 study patient samples the lamellar body count decreased by ≥ 3,000/μL in 33 (66%) and remained unchanged in 16 (32%). In only 1 case did the value increase--the actual result of 37,000/μL increased to 44,000/μL, both of which exceeded the mature level in our institution.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal blood contamination of amniotic fluid does not falsely increase the lamellar body count in 98% of cases. The result was falsely lowered in 2 out of 3 cases. Therefore, a mature lamellar body count test result in a blood-contaminated sample is reliable
authors.forename: Kevin C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Visconti
authors.forename: Craig V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Towers
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Hennessy
authors.forename: Bobby C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.forename: Beth
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weitz
mesh_terms: D000649:Amniocentesis; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D001769:Blood; D005260:Female; D005325:Fetal Organ Maturity; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000517:prevention & control