Experience of Using Immature Platelet Fraction (IPF) at Our Hospital for routine examination

• Experience of Using Immature Platelet Fraction (IPF) at Our Hospital for routine examination

AUTHOR(S)

Fumihiko GOTO

Clinical Laboratory, NTT Medical Center Tokyo

SUMMARY

There have been incredible advances in automated hematology analyzers within the last decade. Devices are now capable of simultaneously obtaining a 6-part leukocyte differential and reticulocyte counts beyond traditional blood cell counting, assessing body fluids via a dedicate mode, and measuring various additional parameters including those for research use only.

At the time of induction of the XE-5000 analyzer (Sysmex) at our hospital in November 2008, we also installed the XE-Pro and IPF Master software on our existing XE-2100 analyzer (Sysmex). We evaluated a basic performance of the immature platelet fraction (%) (IPF), one of the new research parameters. In particular, we examined the usefulness of IPF as a supplementary diagnostic parameter for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). We shall describe here: our basic performance evaluation results conducted with the aim of determining whether IPF would be a suitable parameter for routine examination, our method of providing information to the clinicians (especially the hematology department), and how we have been using XE-5000 after its implementation.

NOTE(S)

This article is translated and republished from the Sysmex Journal Web Vol.14 No.2, 2013. (Japanese)