Test Code BODY Body Fluid Cell Count and Differential
Specimen and Container/Tube
Specimen Type: Body fluid (not CSF)
Preferred Specimen: lavender top
Other Acceptable specimens: sterile container, green top sodium heparin is acceptable for synovial fluid only
Specimen Handling and Transport Instructions
UCMC Onsite Instructions: Collect specimen per standard collection procedure and send to laboratory immediately.
UCMC Offsite and UC MedLab Outreach Instructions: Collect specimen per standard collection procedure and send to laboratory immediately. Specimens must be received within 4 hours. If transport is delayed, refrigerate specimens prior to transport.
Rejection Criteria
- Common specimen rejected situations include: incorrect specimen type, insufficient volume, missing or incomplete specimen identifiers, incorrect specimen transport, or specimens outside stability limits.
- Frozen or heated specimens will be rejected
- Clotted or quantity not sufficient specimens are not suitable for testing and will be rejected
- Clotted specimen are not suitable for testing. Testing may be attempted, but not all results may be reported.
Reference Values
Not applicable
Critical Values
Analyte |
Unit |
Low |
High |
Age |
Intracellular organisms and intracellular or extracellular parasites in: blood, CSF, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluid (paracentesis), pleural fluid, synovial fluid; intracellular and extracellular yeast and pneumocystis in BAL. |
Turnaround Time
Turnaround times are relative to the time the specimen is received in the test laboratory.
STAT Turnaround Time: 120 minutes
Routine Turnaround Time: 480 minutes
Testing Schedule: 24/7
CPT Codes
89051
LOINC Codes
BFLU 14725-6, BAPP 9335-1, BTOT 38256-4, BRBC 6741-3, BWBC 6743-9, BNEU 26513-2, BLYM 13941-0, BMAC 12230-9, BMES 12234-1, BEOS 12209-3, BBAS 12179-8, BPLA 17803-8, BCRY 5781-0
Volume
Preferred Volume: 4.0 mL
Minimum Volume: 1.0 mL
Specimen Stability
Storage Temperature |
Stability |
Room temperature (20 - 25°C) |
4 hours |
Refrigerated (2 - 10°C) |
24 hours |
Frozen (-20°C) |
not acceptable |
Collection Instructions
Collect specimen per standard laboratory collection procedures.
Test Components
WBC, RBC, and total cell counts, WBC differential, pathologist interpretation if requested
Synovial fluid will include crystal examination
Clinical Indications
- Useful in the diagnosis of disease states such as hemorrhage, malignancy, inflammation, viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections
- Differentiation of leukocyte types may further aid in the detection and diagnosis of suspected disorders
Methodology
Sysmex XN and manual hemocytometer method, Wright stain and light microscopy
Synonyms/Search Keywords
Fluid cell count, fluid diff,
Additional Information
Not applicable
Last Reviewed Date
9/5/2024