Comparison of the Automated Cell Counter and Manual Method for the Assessment of Dialysis Fluids in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

Abstract

Objective: To compare the accuracy of automated cell counter and the manual methods for the peritoneal fluid assessments in peritoneal dialysis patients. Material and Method: We analyzed 72 peritoneal fluid samples collected under sterile conditions from 27 patients with peritonitis (15 female; 12 male) following by the peritoneal dialysis unit of Yuzuncu Yil University Medical Faculty. The white blood cell counts of these peritoneal fluid samples were assessed by the both manual method and the automated cell counter. Results: The white blood cells were usually higher in the automated cell count method than the manual method (p<0,01). In 5 subjects, white cell counts were less than 100 cell/mu L in the manual method, but were more than 100 cell/mu L in the automated counter. There was a significant correlation between the manual and automated methods in terms of cell counts (p<0.01, r = 0.79). We also found good correlation between the two methods when WBC counts were greater than 300 cell/mu L (r = 0.87). Conclusions: There is a good correlation between the automated method and the manual methods for the assessment of peritoneal fluid samples in CAPD patients. However, in the assessment of fluids with less than 300 cell/mu L, the manual method should be preferred for critical clinical decisions.