Background: Red cell distribution width (RDW) is a marker of iron-deficient anaemia that can also assist differentiation of other anaemias. RDW also has been suggested as an effective marker for earlier anaemia detection. The RDW-anaemia relationship was investigated in cross-sectional community patient data, and the capacity of RDW to predict the diagnostic value of second tier anaemia markers assessed. Methods: Routine and second tier assay data were provided by the laboratory Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology. The cohort was divided into male and female groups stratified by age, and correlation analyses assessed associations of RDW to haemoglobin and ferritin. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed for both routine and second tier markers to investigate their significance for RDW prediction.
Summary. A highly automated laboratory data processing environment for use with Coulter STKS haematology analysers is described. This in‐house system is based on a network of personal computers running Novell Network software and communicating with an IBM® mainframe. The system captures the leucocyte scatterplot graphic and numeric parameters from the blood analysers, integrating this with patient demographic and request data held on the host computer. This composite picture is then reviewed on the network by laboratory personnel before generating printed reports. The system has provided greater data integrity, reduced paper flow and improved efficiency in the laboratory's operations and lays the foundations for dealing efectively with the next generation of advanced haematology analysers.
No evidence of an age affect was found in the data. On the other hand, significant patterns in the rises and falls of log(ferritin) and haemoglobin with RDW over time are identified.
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