INACCURACY IN AUTOMATED MEASUREMENT OF HEMATOCRIT AND CORPUSCULAR INDEXES IN THE PRESENCE OF SEVERE HYPERGLYCEMIA

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 57  (6) , 1065-1067
Abstract
Because 2 patients with severe diabetic hyperglycemia and spuriously elevated electronically determined hematocrit and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) were recently observed, the effect of hyperglycemia on 2 popular automated hematology systems, the Coulter S and Ortho ELT-8, was investigated. Marked hyperglycemia (blood glucose 800-2000 mg/dl) caused consistent overestimation of the electronically determined MCV compared to that derived from a simultaneous spun microhematocrit. The resultant overestimation and underestimation, respectively, of the derived values for hematocrit and mean corpuscular Hb concentration may be clinically misleading. The mechanism of MCV elevation in hyperglycemia appears to be swelling of hyperosmolar glucose loaded erythrocytes when diluted into isotonic counting medium. This effect is readily circumvented by determination of a spun microhematocrit.

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