Some medical conditions or problems with the<unk>  sample may produce inaccurate results. If the sample is visibly clotted, which can be caused by poor phlebotomy technique, it is unsuitable for testing, because the platelet count will be falsely decreased and other results may be abnormal. Samples stored at room temperature for several hours may give falsely high readings for MCV, because red<unk>  cells swell as they absorb water from the plasma; and platelet and white<unk>  cell differential results may be inaccurate in aged specimens, as the cells degrade over time. Red<unk>  cell agglutination: clumps of red<unk>  cells are visible on the<unk>  smear Samples drawn from individuals with very high levels of bilirubin or lipids in their plasma (referred to as an icteric sample or a lipemic sample, respectively) may show falsely high readings for hemoglobin, because these substances change the colour and opacity of the sample, which interferes with hemoglobin measurement. This effect can be mitigated by replacing the plasma with saline. Some individuals produce an antibody that causes their platelets to form clumps when their<unk>  is drawn into tubes containing EDTA, the anticoagulant typically used to collect<unk>  samples. Platelet clumps may be counted as single platelets by automated analyzers, leading to a falsely decreased platelet count. This can be avoided by using an alternative anticoagulant such as sodium citrate or heparin. Another antibody-mediated condition that can affect<unk>  results is red<unk>  cell agglutination. This phenomenon causes red<unk>  cells to clump together because of antibodies bound to the cell surface. Red<unk>  cell aggregates are counted as single cells by the analyzer, leading to a markedly decreased red<unk>  cell count and hematocrit, and markedly elevated MCV and MCHC. Often, these antibodies are only active at room temperature (in which case they are called cold agglutinins), and the agglutination can be reversed by heating the sample to . Samples from people with warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia may exhibit red cell agglutination that does not resolve on warming. While blast and lymphoma cells can be identified in the manual differential, microscopic examination cannot reliably determine the cells' hematopoietic lineage. This information is often necessary for diagnosing<unk>  cancers. After abnormal cells are identified, additional techniques such as immunophenotyping by flow cytometry can be used to identify markers that provide additional information about the cells.
Complete blood count
Lipid profile
Glycated hemoglobin
Hematocrit
Absolute neutrophil count
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate
Comprehensive metabolic panel
Red blood cell indices