An automated cell counter can be used to count the cells in a body fluid. However, any particulate matter might also be counted, resulting in a falsely elevated cell count.
Method used by the Coulter counter: impedence
Things that can cause a false cell reading:
(1) cholesterol crystals
(2) lipid/fat dropets
(3) cellular debris
(4) platelet cluumps
(5) any other particulate material
Erroneous results can be prevented by:
(1) visually inspecting the body fluid tube prior to testing
(2) examining a smear of the body fluid and comparing the apparent count to the cell counter result
(3) following the procedure for handling the specific type of body fluid
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