Benefits and Problems of Routine Laboratory Investigations in Adult Psychiatric Admissions

1989 ◽  
Vol 155 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony J. White ◽  
Brian Barraclough
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Cell Count ◽  
Urine Analysis ◽  
White Cell Count ◽  
District General Hospital ◽  
Physical Illness ◽  
White Cell ◽  
Psychiatric Admissions ◽  
Laboratory Investigations ◽  
Test Use

A survey of laboratory investigations in the management of 1007 non-geriatric admissions to a district general hospital adult psychiatric unit showed a wide variation in the number of tests performed, and in the abnormal proportion between test types. Despite a policy of screening on admission, 40% of admissions had no tests. Physical illness attributable to mental illness was common, but rarely serious and usually apparent clinically. Mental illness attributable to physical illness detected by laboratory tests was rare: five cases of thyroid disease in women with affective disorder, and two cases of chest infection with raised white cell count in sustained mania. The findings show that tests are frequently used in circumstances where the result is of no apparent value. Test use might be improved by restricting screening to thyroid function and laboratory urine analysis, each in women. There are particular indications for white cell count in sustained or unexplained relapse of mental illness, and for syphilis serology when disinhibition may have exposed the patient to infection.

Leucocytes and Thrombosis

1973 ◽  
Vol 30 (01) ◽  
pp. 036-046 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.C Banks ◽  
J.R.A Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Cell Count ◽  
White Cell Count ◽  
Cell Loss ◽  
White Cell ◽  
Structural Resemblance ◽  
The Masses

SummaryWhen heparinised blood is rotated in a glass flask at 37°C. the white cell count falls and it has been shown that this is due to the adherence and aggregation of polymorphonuclear white cells on the wall of the flask. The masses formed bear a close structural resemblance to thrombi and the mechanisms involved in white cell loss during rotation may therefore increase our knowledge of the thrombotic process.

An Assessment of Red Cell Deformability Using a Simple Filtration Method

1979 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Drummond ◽  
G Lowe ◽  
J Belch ◽  
C Forbes ◽  
J Barbenel
Keyword(s):  
Cell Count ◽  
Shear Viscosity ◽  
White Cell Count ◽  
White Cell ◽  
Red Cell ◽  
Cell Deformability ◽  
Red Cell Deformability ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
Filtration Method ◽  
Significant Difference

We investigated the reproducibility and validity of a simple method of measuring red cell deformability (filtration of whole blood through 5 µ sieves) and its relationship to haematocrit, blood viscosity, fibrinogen, white cell count, sex and smoking. The mean coefficient of variation in normals was 3. 7%. Tanned red cells showed marked loss of deformability. Blood filtration rate correlated with haematocrit (r = 0. 99 on dilution of samples, r = 0. 7 in 120 normals and patients). After correction for haematocrit, deformability correlated with high shear viscosity, but not low shear viscosity, fibrinogen or white cell count. In 60 normals there was no significant difference between males and females, or smokers and non-smokers, but in 11 smokers there was an acute fall in deformability after smoking 3 cigarettes (p<0. 05). Reduced deformability was found in acute myocardial infarction (n = 15, p<0. 01) and chronic peripheral arterial disease (n = 15, p<0. 01). The technique is reproducible, detects rigid cells and appears useful in the study of vascular disease.

scholarly journals The use of routine blood tests to assist the diagnosis of COVID-19 in symptomatic hospitalized patients

2021 ◽  
pp. 000456322199907
Author(s):  
IT Parsons ◽  
AT Parsons ◽  
E Balme ◽  
G Hazell ◽  
R Gifford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Count ◽  
Retrospective Review ◽  
Blood Test ◽  
Patient Flow ◽  
White Cell Count ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
White Cell ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Blood Tests

Introduction Specific patterns of blood test results are associated with COVID-19 infection. The aim of this study was to identify which blood tests could be used to assist in diagnosing COVID-19. Method A retrospective review was performed on consecutive patients referred to hospital with a clinical suspicion of COVID-19 over a period of four weeks. The patient’s clinical presentation and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR) were recorded. The patients were divided by diagnosis into COVID (COVID-19 infection) or CONTROL (an alternate diagnosis). A retrospective review of consecutive patients over a further two-week period was used for the purposes of validation. Results Overall, 399 patients (53% COVID, 47% CONTROL) were analysed. White cell count, neutrophils and lymphocytes were significantly lower, while lactate dehydrogenase and ferritin were significantly higher, in the COVID group in comparison to CONTROL. Combining the white cell count, lymphocytes and ferritin results into a COVID Combined Blood Test (CCBT) had an area under the curve of 0.79. Using a threshold CCBT of –0.8 resulted in a sensitivity of 0.85 and a specificity of 0.63. Analysing this against a further retrospective review of 181 suspected COVID-19 patients, using the same CCBT threshold, resulted in a sensitivity of 0.73 and a specificity of 0.75. The sensitivity was comparable to the SARS-CoV-2 RT PCR. Discussion Mathematically combining the blood tests has the potential to assist clinical acumen allowing for rapid streaming and more accurate patient flow pending definitive diagnosis. This may be of particular use in low-resource settings.

A study in correlation of the sedimentation test, filament-nonfilament, and the white cell count in gynecology

1933 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Wellington Yates ◽  
David M. Davidow ◽  
Elizabeth Putnam ◽  
Frances Ellman
Keyword(s):  
Cell Count ◽  
White Cell Count ◽  
White Cell

The Effects of Acupuncture on White Cell Counts

1974 ◽  
Vol 02 (04) ◽  
pp. 383-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marjorie L. Brown ◽  
George A. Ulett ◽  
John A. Stern
Keyword(s):  
Cell Count ◽  
White Cell Count ◽  
Needle Insertion ◽  
White Cell ◽  
Acupuncture Points ◽  
Blood Cell Count ◽  
Cell Counts ◽  
Higher Temperature ◽  
Stimulation Of ◽  
Site Stimulation

The anticipation of acupuncture, simple insertion of needles or the electrical stimulation of needles at both classical acupuncture points and "false" points, all produce an increase in white blood cell count. Electrostimulation produced the greatest, expectation of needle insertion the least, increase in white cell count. Though needles remain to place, the white cell count returns to basal level within one hour. Preliminary data on peripheral skin temperature as affected by stimulation of acupuncture points and non-points, suggests a higher temperature on the side of stimulation. For acupuncture site stimulation, the temperature differential appears to be more persistent than is true when non-sites are stimulated. Subjects reported needle insertion at acupuncture points as less painful than at non-points. Feelings of numbness were produced by stimulation of both classical and false acupuncture points.

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