OVERVIEW OF THE MOST FREQUENT ABNORMALITIES IN THE COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT RESULTS IN EMERGENCY SETTING AND RECOGNITION OF EMERGENCY CONDITIONS

Abstract

Complete blood count is basic investigation in medicine. It gives us necessary information for acutely sick patient's diagnostic and treatment. We describe the most frequent etiology of red, white and thrombocyte cell lines abnormalities and give notice on conditions who require immediate measures. We had analyzed 1297 complete blood count results of patients who sought medical help in Emergency setting of Ljubljana's health care center from 1.1. 2014 to 31.1. 2014. Every fourth patient treated in the emergency setting had abnormalities in complete blood count. The most frequent finding was leucocytosis, following normocyte anemia and erytrocite's morphological abnormalities without laboratory signs of anemia. Every tenth patient had abnormalities in two or three cell lines. Complete blood count is probably the most basic investigation in medicine. From the results we can suspect on many different pathologies. Differential blood count should be ordered if we find abnormalities in complete blood count. Physicians should read and evaluate complete blood count with the same dedication as we read electrocardiogram.