ABSTRACT
There are few reports of reference ranges for haematological values in school age children and most studies extend over a small age range or have excluded a considerable proportion of the study population in an effort to omit those with haemoglobinopathies or anaemia. Blood samples from 2135 children aged 4-19 years, from randomly selected schools, were analysed by automated counter. Reference ranges for red cell, white cell and platelet indices are provided from the results. Median haemoglobin and red blood cell count values for girls and boys rose together with increasing age, up to 12 years, but then diverged. Girls had a higher platelet count than boys. Mean platelet volume rose with age and was inversely related to the platelet count. Plateletcrit fell with age but in girls there was a peri-pubertal peak. Total leucocyte count fell with age. The upper limits for total leucocyte count in this study are approximately 2 x 10(9) lower than those quoted in modern haematology textbooks. Lymphocyte, eosinophil and basophil counts fell with age with little difference between the sexes. Neutrophil and monocyte counts were similar for younger girls and boys but diverged in the older children with the older girls having higher values than boys.
Subject(s)
Blood Cell Count , Adolescent , Adult , Age Factors , Child , Child, Preschool , Erythrocyte Indices , Female , Hematologic Tests/standards , Hematologic Tests/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Leukocyte Count , Male , Platelet Count , Reference Values , Sex FactorsABSTRACT
A database system for registration, diagnosis, product treatment and laboratory data associated with the management of haemophilia and related disorders is described. The application was written with both adaptability and standardization in mind, and in particular to allow the incremental development of analytical and query methods for the haemophilia databases. The system will run on either single or multiple IBM compatible PCs. The project commenced in 1989 and the system is operational at the National Haemophilia Centre, St James' Hospital, Dublin, with over 100000 records for 700 patients on-line. The computer program has made a significant contribution to the data management and analysis at the Centre.
