Automated reticulocyte counting: evaluation of the Coulter® STKS Haematology Analyser reticulocyte counting function

This study evaluated reticulocyte counting with the automated reticulocyte function of the Coulter STKS Haematology Analyser. This is an upgrade option for Coulter STKS and MAXIM haematology analysers. Reticulocyte counts obtained with the automated reticulocyte counting function were compared with those obtained by visual counting. Reticulocyte counting with both methods gave excellent comparability with a correlation coefficient of 0.98. Results were consistent with the well documented imprecision of the manual method with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 16–22%. In contrast, the automated reticulocyte counting function was more precise with a CV of 12.3%. In both cases, counts were stable after storage for 24 h at room temperature and 4 °C. Our results suggest that the use of this upgrade will be beneficial for many laboratories.