Automated differentials consider thousands of cells, compared to a standard of 100 on a manual differential. On a properly validated modern instrument, auto-diffs are highly reliable. Manual differentials are laborious, time-consuming, and prone to variation. A
complete-blood-count with differential (CBC w/diff) is a common test, often ordered repeatedly on in-patients. In most cases, a repeated white blood cell differential within 24 hours does not add clinical value.
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