Agreement of manual cell counts and automated counts of the scil Vet abc Plus(+) hematology analyzer for analysis of equine synovial fluid.

This study evaluates the accuracy of the scil Vet abc Plus(+) hematology analyzer in quantifying and differentiating nucleated blood cells in horse joint fluid and finds that while it’s able to accurately count the cells, it struggles to correctly identify the different types.

Research Purpose and Methodology

• The objective of this research was to evaluate the accuracy of the scil Vet abc Plus(+) hematology analyzer, an impedance-based cell counting device, in quantifying and distinguishing nucleated blood cells (NBCs) in the synovial, or joint fluid of horses.
• The researchers conducted their study on 242 samples of equine synovial fluid in varying stages of artificially triggered inflammation.
• To evaluate the results, the researchers compared the analyzer’s cell counts with manual hemocytometer counts and smear reviews, integrated with and without the use of hyaluronidase — an enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid, a compound typically present in synovial fluid. No significant impact of hyaluronidase pretreatment was observed.

Findings of the Research

• The scil Vet abc Plus(+) analyzer demonstrated significantly higher total nucleated cell counts compared to the traditional manual method. However, this discrepancy was minor and considered clinically insignificant, with the ratio of manual to automated counts being 0.97 within a 95% confidence interval of 0.95 to 1.00.
• While the automated analyzer was highly accurate in quantifying NBCs in equine synovial fluid, it failed to accurately differentiate between the different types of cells, a vital requirement for identification of specific abnormalities or diseases.

Conclusion of the Research

• The research concluded that the scil Vet abc Plus(+) hematology analyzer is highly accurate for quantification, but not differentiation of nucleated blood cells in equine synovial fluid.
• Despite the lack of differential cell count accuracy, the study suggests potential value in the device as a swift and efficient method for total cell count in equine joint fluid, possibly aiding in faster decision-making.