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Test Code DIFF Differential

Specimen and Container/Tube

Specimen Type: Whole blood

Preferred Specimen: lavender top

Other Acceptable specimens: not applicable 

Specimen Stability

Storage Temperature

Stability

Room temperature

(20 - 25°C)

 24 hours 

Refrigerated

(2 - 10°C)

 24 hours 

Frozen

(-20°C)

not acceptable

Collection Instructions

Collect specimen per standard laboratory collection procedures. 

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 8 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 

 

Reference Values

Analyte

Age

Sex

Reference Range

nRBC Relative

0 up to 4 days

Male and female

0.1 - 8.3 %

nRBC Relative

4 days up to 16 years

Male and female

0.00 - 0.00 %

nRBC Absolute

0 up to 4 days

Male and female

0.06 - 1.30 x10e3/uL

nRBC Absolute

4 day up to 31 days

Male and female

0.04 - 0.11 x10e3/uL

nRBC Absolute

31 days up to 61 days

Male and female

0.03 - 0.09 x10e3/uL

nRBC Absolute

61 days up to 181 days

Male and female

0.03 - 0.13 x10e3/uL

nRBC Absolute

181 days up to 2 years

Male and female

0.03 - 0.12 x10e3/uL

nRBC Absolute

2 years up to 6 years

Male and female

0.03 - 0.32 x10e3/uL

nRBC Absolute

6 years up to 12 years

Male and female

0.03 - 0.15 x10e3/uL

nRBC Absolute

12 years up to 16 years

Male and female

0.03 - 0.13 x10e3/uL

 

Neutrophil Relative

 

0 hours to 16 years

 

 

 

Male and female

Refer to Neutrophil Absolute Reference range

Neutrophil Relative

16 years and up

Male and female

39 – 75 %

Neutrophil Absolute

0 up to 12 Hours

Male and female

6.00 - 26.00 x10e3/uL

Neutrophil Absolute

12 Hours up to 24 Hours

Male and female

6.00 - 28.00 x10e3/uL

Neutrophil Absolute

24 Hours up to 1 Week

Male and female

5.00 - 21.00 x10e3/uL

Neutrophil Absolute

1 week up to 2 weeks

Male and female

1.50 - 10.00 x10e3/uL

Neutrophil Absolute

2 Weeks up to 1 Month

Male and female

1.00 - 9.50 x10e3/uL

Neutrophil Absolute

1 Month up to 6 months

Male and female

1.00 - 9.00 x10e3/uL

Neutrophil Absolute

6 Months up to 1 year

Male and female

1.00 - 8.50 x10e3/uL

Neutrophil Absolute

1 year up to 6 years

Male and female

1.50 - 8.50 x10e3/uL

Neutrophil Absolute

6 years up to 10 years

Male and female

1.50 - 8.00 x10e3/uL

Neutrophil Absolute

10 years up to 16 years

Male and female

1.80 - 8.00 x10e3/uL

Neutrophil Absolute

16 years and up

Male and female

1.12 – 6.72 x10e3/uL

Lymphocyte Relative

0 hours to 16 years

 

 

Male and female

Refer to Lymphocyte Absolute Reference range

Lymphocyte Relative

16 years and up

Male and female

16 – 47 %

Lymphocyte Absolute

0 up to 12 Hours

Male and female

2.00 - 11.00 x10e3/uL

Lymphocyte Absolute

12 Hours up to 24 Hours

Male and female

2.00 - 11.00 x10e3/uL

Lymphocyte Absolute

24 Hours up to 1 Weeks

Male and female

2.00 - 11.50 x10e3/uL

Lymphocyte Absolute

1 Weeks up to 2 Weeks

Male and female

2.00 - 17.00 x10e3/uL

Lymphocyte Absolute

2 Weeks up to 1 Months

Male and female

2.00 - 17.00 x10e3/uL

Lymphocyte Absolute

1 Months up to 6 Months

Male and female

2.50 - 16.50 x10e3/uL

Lymphocyte Absolute

6 Months up to 1 Year

Male and female

4.00 - 13.50 x10e3/uL

Lymphocyte Absolute

1 Years up to 2 Years

Male and female

4.00 - 10.50 x10e3/uL

Lymphocyte Absolute

2 Years up to 4 Years

Male and female

3.00 - 9.50 x10e3/uL

Lymphocyte Absolute

4 Years up to 6 Years

Male and female

2.00 - 8.00 x10e3/uL

Lymphocyte Absolute

6 Years up to 8 Years

Male and female

1.50 - 7.00 x10e3/uL

Lymphocyte Absolute

8 Years up to 10 Years

Male and female

1.50 - 6.80 x10e3/uL

Lymphocyte Absolute

10 Years up to 16 Years

Male and female

1.50 - 6.50 x10e3/uL

Lymphocyte Absolute

16 years and up

Male and female

0.90 – 3.30 x10e3/uL

Monocyte Relative

0 hours to 16 years

 

 

Male and female

Refer to Monocyte Absolute Reference range

Monocyte Relative

16 years and up

Male and female

4 – 12 %

Monocyte Absolute

0 up to 14 Days

Male and female

0.40 - 1.80 x10e3/uL

Monocyte Absolute

14 Days up to 1 Years

Male and female

0.10 - 1.10 x10e3/uL

Monocyte Absolute

1 Years up to 16 Years

Male and female

0.00 - 0.80 x10e3/uL

Monocyte Absolute

16 years and up

Male and female

0.16 – 0.92 x10e3/uL

Eosinophil Relative

0 hours to 16 years

 

 

Male and female

Refer to Eosinophil Absolute Reference range

Eosinophil Relative

16 years and up

Male and female

0 – 7  %

Eosinophil Absolute

0 up to 6 Months

Male and female

0.00 - 0.90 x10e3/uL

Eosinophil Absolute

6 Months up to 1 Years

Male and female

0.00 - 0.70 x10e3/uL

Eosinophil Absolute

1 Years up to 6 Years

Male and female

0.00 - 0.70 x10e3/uL

Eosinophil Absolute

6 Years up to 16 Years

Male and female

0.00 - 0.50 x10e3/uL

Eosinophil absolute

16 years and up

Male and female

0.00 – 0.60 x10e3/uL

Basophil Relative

0 hours to 16 years

 

 

Male and female

Refer to Basophil Absolute Reference range

Basophil relative

16 years and up

Male and female

0 – 2 %

Basophil Absolute

0 up to 6 Months

Male and female

0.00 - 0.60 x10e3/uL

Basophil Absolute

6 Months up to 16 Years

Male and female

0.00 - 0.20 x10e3/uL

Basophil absolute

16 years and up

Male and female

0.00 – 0.21 x10e3/uL

Immature granulocyte relative

16 years and up

Male and female

<0.50 %

Immature granulocyte absolute

16 years and up

Male and female

<0.04 x10e3/uL

Bands Relative

16 years and up

Male and female

0 – 6  %

Bands Absolute

16 years and up

Male and female

0.00 – 0.66 x10e3/uL

Clinical Indications

  • Screening test for various diseases
  • Useful in the diagnosis of disease states such as anemias, leukemias, allergic reactions, viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections. 

Methodology

Sysmex XN and Wright stained light microscopy

CPT Codes

85004

LOINC Codes

NEUT 768-2, LYMP 736-9, MON 5905-5, EOS 713-8, BASO 706-2, IGRE 38518-7, ABS NEUT 769-0, ABS LYMP 731-0, ABS MONO 742-7, ABS EOS 711-2, ABS BASO 704-7, ABS IG 51584-1

Volume

Preferred Volume: 4.0 mL

Minimum Volume: 1.0 mL

Critical Values

Analyte

Unit

Low

High

Age

White Cell Differential

<500 neutrophils/µL when WBC is greater than 1000/µL

Blast Cells

>4% from outpatient/emergency room patients

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: 90 minutes

Routine Turnaround Time: 480 minutes

 

Testing Schedule: 24/7

Test Components

Absolute and relative results for white blood cells present including neutrophils, lymphocyte, monocyte, eosinophils, basophils, and immature granulocytes. 

Synonyms/Search Keywords

Diff, White cell differential 

Additional Information

Manual and Automated WBC Differentials include percentages and absolute number of white blood cell types, RBC morphology, WBC morphology and platelet estimate. Performed manually or automated per laboratory protocol. Automated differentials that are released without review by technologist only include percentages and absolute number of WBC cell types. 

The percentage of cells reported in a WBC Differential is based on counting 100 white blood cells. If the WBC is >15 x10³/µL, a 200 cell count is performed the percentage of each cell type counted is calculated (extrapolated to 100) and reported with the number of cells counted. When the WBC is very low (<1.5 x10³/µL) less than 100 cells are counted the percentage of each cell type counted is calculated (extrapolated to 100) and reported with the number of cells counted.

Only those cells seen during the count are reported. If the cell type is not reported, there were none of the cell type seen. For example, if 60% Neutrophils, 25% Lymphocytes, 12% Monocytes, 2% Eosinophils, 1% Basophils are reported; then no other cells (reactive lymphs, metamyelocytes, myelocytes, promyelocytes, blasts) were seen.

Last Reviewed Date

8/12/2024