Comparison of the peripheral blood eosinophil count using near-patient testing and standard automated laboratory measurement in healthy, asthmatic and COPD subjects

• DOI: 10.2147/copd.s147216
• Publication Date: 2017-09-26T19:14:05Z
• Authors: Kirsty Hambleton; Clare Connolly; Catherine Borg; Joanne Davies; Helen Jeffers; Richard Russell; Mona Bafadhel
• Keywords: Venipuncture; Blood count

Near-patient testing (NPT) allows clinical decisions to be made in a rapid and convenient manner is often cost effective. In COPD the peripheral blood eosinophil count has been demonstrated have utility providing prognostic information predicting response treatment during an acute exacerbation. For this potential achieved having reliable NPT of would extremely useful. Therefore, we investigated use HemoCue® WBC Diff System evaluated its sensitivity specificity healthy, asthmatic subjects. This method requires simple skin prick was compared standard venepuncture laboratory analysis. The measured asthma subjects with very close correlation as by venepuncture. correlations were unaffected disease status. for measurement provide near-patient results thus influence speed management airway diseases.