A 28-year-old male presented at his GP complaining of depression and extreme anxiety. During the appointment blood was taken for routine haematology and biochemistry analysis. The FBE was performed on a Sysmex haematology analyser, and his results were as follows:
| RBC (x 1012/L) | WBC (x 109/L) | 12.7 x 109/L | |
| HB (g/L) | 120 | ||
| HCT (L/L) | 0.43 | Neutrophils (x 109/L) | 5.2 |
| MCV (fL) | 84 | Lymphocytes (x 109/L) | 5.8 |
| MCH (pg) | 25 | Monocytes (x 109/L) | 1.6 |
| MCHC (g/L) | 304 | Eosinophils (x 109/L) | 0.1 |
| PLAT (x 109/L) | 60 | Basophils (x 109/L) | 0 |
| RDW (%) | 12.7 | total |
- Explain the principle and methods that the Sysmex analyser uses to determine the component of the FBE.
- Identify the abnormal results in this case study.
- Identify the conditions which cause a true thrombocytopenia and explain the possible clinical consequences for the patient.
- Provide a detailed overview of the common cause of pseudothrombocytopenia and propose solutions to overcome these problems.
- Identify the causes of true monocytosis and pseudo monocytosis and decide if this patient’s results are true. Give reasons for (justify) your decision.
- Referencing: Use 5-10 quality references: published research papers, scientific texts or professional websites (not sites for the general public).
- Use the Vancouver style for referencing (https://utas.libguides.com/referencing/Vancouver)
- Length: maximum 1500 quality words excluding diagrams, tables, and the reference list.
