Assessment of the Reliability of the Sysmex XE-5000 Analyzer to Detect Platelet Clumps.
OBJECTIVE
Platelet counts generated by automated analyzers on blood specimens that contain platelet clumps are often inaccurate and require verification by blood-smear review. In this study, we assessed the reliability of the Sysmex XE-5000 instrument to detect platelet clumps.


METHODS
We reviewed automated complete blood count (CBC) results and the findings of the microscopic review of corresponding blood smears of 600 blood specimens specifically selected from the routine laboratory workload. The sensitivity, specificity, efficiency, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of its 2 platelet-associated flags (abnormal platelet-size distribution [PAD] flag and platelet-clumps [CLP] flag) were determined.


RESULTS
The respective values for the sensitivity, specificity, efficiency, and PPV were 42%, 83%, 63%, and 1% for the PAD flag and 57%, 99%, 78%, and 37% for the CLP flag. The NPV was 100%.


CONCLUSIONS
The overall reliability of the CLP flag is superior than that of the PAD flag but there is room for further improvement.
Department of Pathology, Marshall University, Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology, Sydney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania gene.gulati@jefferson.edu.
Jennifer
J
Hawkins
Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology, Sydney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania gene.gulati@jefferson.edu.
Gene
G
Gulati
Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology, Sydney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Guldeep
G
Uppal
Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology, Sydney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Jerald
J
Gong
D057205:Automation, Laboratory / Q000379:methods*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000473:pathology*; D002449:Cell Aggregation; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D006801:Humans; D010976:Platelet Count / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
CBC; Sysmex XE-5000; assessment; automated platelet counts; platelet clumps; reliability