International journal of laboratory hematology
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The majority of previous studies on body fluid (BF) mode of automatic hematology analyzer used nonmalignant BF samples. Here, we evaluated the BF mode on the recently launched Sysmex XN for counting blood cells, especially for malignant samples. ⋯ The BF mode on the Sysmex XN could be an alternative method for the manual counts in the BF analysis with a few drawbacks. However, if a concentration of HF-BF cells is greater than the given threshold, microscopic examination should be subsequently performed.
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Myeloid malignancies including acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of disorders that share a common biology and are a major source of morbidity and mortality. In the last several years, studies using next-generation sequencing (NGS) have identified a core set of recurrently mutated myeloid malignancy genes in the majority of patients with AML and MDS, including those with normal cytogenetics. ⋯ In addition to providing prognostic information, these gene mutations can be used to monitor patient disease burden through the use of ultrasensitive detection techniques. In this review, we will focus on the clinical utility of various NGS-based methods including whole-genome sequencing, exome sequencing, and targeted panel-based sequencing in the initial diagnosis and management of AML and MDS and cover recent methodological advances for the molecular monitoring of AML and MDS.
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Patients requiring urgent cardiac surgery are usually already taking antiplatelet drugs including aspirin and a P2Y12 ADP receptor antagonist (e.g., clopidogrel, prasugrel or ticagrelor). This presents clinicians with the challenge of balancing the risk of thrombotic complications, if antiplatelet drugs are stopped before surgery, with the problems of excessive bleeding when surgery is performed in the absence of adequate platelet function. ⋯ The authors offer recommendations based on real-world, collective experience in the use of platelet function monitoring. These cover the use of the Multiplate(®) analyser to predict the need for platelet transfusion in the perioperative period and the individualized waiting period after cessation of P2Y12 ADP receptor antagonists before cardiac surgery.
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Early and accurate identification of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) vs. noncardiac chest pain in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) is problematic and new diagnostic markers are needed. Previous studies reported that elevated mean platelet volume (MPV) is associated with ACS and predictive of cardiovascular risk. MPV is closely related to the immature platelet fraction (IPF), and recent studies have suggested that IPF may be a more sensitive marker of ACS than MPV. The objective of the present study was to determine whether the measurement of IPF assists in the diagnosis of ACS in patients presenting to the ED with chest pain. ⋯ In 280 patients presenting to the ED with chest pain and/or suspected ACS, no differences in IPF, IPC or MPV were observed in ACS-negative vs. ACS-positive patients, suggesting that these parameters do not assist in the diagnosis of ACS.
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Coagulation screens are performed routinely in every hospital with the notion that an abnormal result will pick up low levels of coagulation factors and thus aid in determining patients' bleeding risk. ⋯ Abnormal clotting screens may not always be associated with clinically significant decrease in coagulation factor.