PROCESSING A WBC COUNT

1. SPECIMEN:

1. Blood sample

2. EQUIPMENT & REAGENTS

1. Equipment:
   1. Coulter counter

3. PROCEDURE:

1. A lavender top tube (EDTA) sample or capillary tubes will be received at the reception

desk during duty hours Monday through Friday. After duty hours, on weekends or

holidays, the technician on duty will receive all the specimens.

2. When either the receptionist or the technician on duty receives the specimens, all samples

will be logged-in into [your laboratory information system] for those tests ordered. [your laboratory information system] labels will be generated for each sample.

3. Routine specimens will be placed into the specially marked hematology basket located at

the front desk. This basket must be checked at least once every hour. The specimens are then brought to the section for processing.

4. The receptionist will notify the section when a STAT specimen is received. This STAT

specimen must be picked up immediately by section personnel in order to process the specimen.

5. Processing the samples:

1. Specimens requiring CBCs are brought to the Hematology Analyzer area and placed on the mechanical mixer. Specimens will be mixed thoroughly immediately before analysis, for at least five-(5) minutes.

2. Every tube of blood receives a [your laboratory information system] number. At this time, the technician must ensure that the patient's information on the specimen label matches with the information on the generated [your laboratory information system] labels. Any discrepancy must be investigated before processing the specimen.

3. Specimens are then logged into the daily Hematology Worksheet by numerical order using one of the [your laboratory information system] labels.

4. Check the specimen for a clot using wooden applicator sticks.

5. Specimens are then run through the Hematology Analyzer according to the SOP.

6. After the specimens have been run, review the results and transfer data to [your laboratory information system] in order to be filed and certified.

7. The blood sample is placed into the current test tube holder by numerical order. At the end of the day, this test tube holder is placed into the hematology refrigerator.

8. Specimens that require a manual differential and/or RBC morphology are then checked for clots and a peripheral smear is prepared. Blood smears for those specimens are stained with Wright's stain. Refer to Hematology Reference, Critical, and Flag values SOP, and Wright’s Stain SOP for more information.
9. Stained slides will be placed on the hematology microscope table along with a laboratory copy of the complete CBC report in order to perform the peripheral smear examination. Once this is done, the slides are placed in the slide box for that day.

10. For additional tests, i.e., ESR, reticulocyte count, sickle test, and microhematocrit, refer to the specific SOP for the testing procedure.
    
    
    
    

B.1.7. CALCULATIONS: not applicable.

B.1.8. INTERPRETAION AND REPORTING RESULTS: not applicable.

B.1.9. PROCEDURAL NOTES:

1. STAT specimens are never batched, and all attempts must be made to process them before routine specimens. Results must be completed within (1) hour, if not sooner.

2. ASAP specimens are handled as per STAT criteria with the exception of turn around time. ASAP specimens will be completed within two (2) hours, every effort will be made to complete them within one hour.
   

B.1.10. APPENDICES:

1. SOP Validation Form and SOP Change Control
2. SOP Approval

B.1.11. REFERENCES: As directed by the Chief, Clinical Laboratory Services.

For Coulter Counter, can write SOPs for

-WBC

-RBC

-Platelets

-Haemoglobin

-MCV

-MCH

-MCHC

-TC (-DC??)