Evaluation of Sysmex SF-3000 performance concerning interpretive morphology flagging of the leucocyte differential count

Summary Results from the Sysmex SF-3000 automated haematology analyser are reported with special attention to leucocyte morphology flagging in pathological conditions. Results for leucocyte differential counts provided by the Sysmex SF–3000 were compared with those obtained from the Sysmex NE–8000 and a visual evaluation based on a differential count of 400 leucocytes. One hundred samples from apparently healthy subjects and 100 samples from patients with haematological abnormalities were examined. The SF–3000 yielded a rather high frequency of flagging inappropriately referring to blasts, immature granulocytes, left shift and nucleated red blood cells/platelet clumps. The presence of atypical lymphocytes was not indicated by appropriate flagging.