Which CBC artifact is most consistent with EDTA contamination?

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Multiple Choice

Which CBC artifact is most consistent with EDTA contamination?

EDTA contamination in a CBC sample causes red blood cells to swell in vitro, which raises their average size. That swelling makes the mean corpuscular volume appear larger, so the most noticeable and reliable artifact is an increased MCV. While the swelling would tend to lower the MCHC because hemoglobin concentration per cell decreases as cell volume increases, the standout indicator you’d see first is a higher MCV.

EDTA contamination in a CBC sample causes red blood cells to swell in vitro, which raises their average size. That swelling makes the mean corpuscular volume appear larger, so the most noticeable and reliable artifact is an increased MCV. While the swelling would tend to lower the MCHC because hemoglobin concentration per cell decreases as cell volume increases, the standout indicator you’d see first is a higher MCV.

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