[Medical Q&A] What happens if the white blood cell counts tested on the same day are inconsistent?

Planner: Chinese Medical Association

Reviewer: Ning Yongzhong, Chief Technician, Beijing Chuiyangliu Hospital

1. Physiological reasons: When blood is collected from the same person under different conditions on the same day, the white blood cell count test results may have obvious physiological fluctuations, such as lower in the morning and higher in the evening; higher after meals than before meals; higher during strenuous exercise or emotional excitement than in a quiet state; higher during menstruation, pregnancy, delivery, and lactation; significantly higher in newborns and infants than in adults, etc. In addition, the different blood collection sites and the pressure during blood collection may also lead to differences in test results.

2. Pathological causes: If the body is in the early stages of infection or inflammation, the white blood cell count may change for a short period of time as the body increases the production of white blood cells to fight pathogens.

3. Drug influence: Taking certain drugs may cause short-term fluctuations in white blood cell counts, such as certain antibiotics, hormone drugs, etc.

4. Other reasons

(1) Any errors in laboratory operations, such as incorrect sample identification and technical differences in repeated measurements, may also lead to inconsistent results.

(2) Any differences in the processing of blood samples after collection, such as uneven mixing and poor storage conditions, may also lead to fluctuations in white blood cell counts.

(3) There may be errors between different testing instruments or different batches of testing on the same instrument, especially when the instrument is not calibrated or its performance is unstable.

Therefore, if the white blood cell counts of the same person are inconsistent when tested on the same day, there is no need to be too nervous. Communicate with the clinical physician in time. The physician will comprehensively analyze the reasons based on the test process and clinical manifestations and identify physiological and pathological abnormalities.