This study demonstrated that in vitro hemolysis can decrease the clinical and analytical reliability of the assessment of the blood count.

Manual reticulocyte counts were examined under light microscopy, using the property whereby supravital stain precipitates residual ribosomal RNA versus the automated flow methods, with the suggestion that in the latter there is greater precision and an ability to determine both mature and immature reticulocyte fractions. Three hundred and forty-one venous blood samples of patients were analyzed of whom 224 newborn and the rest adults; 51 males and 66 females, with ages between 0 and 89 years, as part of the laboratory routine for hematological examinations at the Clinical Laboratory of the Hospital Universitário do Oeste do Paraná. This work aimed to compare manual and automated methodologies for reticulocyte countings and evaluate random and systematic errors. The results obtained showed that the difference between the two methods was very small, with an estimated 0·4% systematic error and 3·9% random error. Thus, it has been confirmed that both methods, when well conducted, can reflect precisely the reticulocyte counts for adequate clinical use.

The results demonstrate the importance of the clinical analyst's knowledge about the behavior of the CBC parameters over time under different storage conditions, and mainly the imprecision of the hematological equipment used, for the suitable interpretation of the results.

Capítulo 7: Relato do aprender fazendo com educação em saúde: Grupo de gestantes de uma zona rural.

Reticulocytes are precursory to the erythrocyte cells in the blood. They are anucleated cells, more rounded in shape and 20% greater, in volume, than the erythrocytes. However, when stained with panoptic dyes (Romanowski) they produce polychromatic slides, due to the presence of mature red blood cells with hemoglobin, synthesized during maturation, and reticulocytes with ribonucleic acid residues. These residues are stained with new methylene blue or brilliant cresyl blue dyes which confer the characteristic aspect of reticulum, when observed in optic microscopy. Such staining is not