Knowledge Corner: Scattergrams and Histograms: Understanding Their Essential Role in the CBC

Veterinarians are reliant on sophisticated point-of-care blood analyzers to provide rapid and accurate diagnoses. The CBC is a critical component to a sick patient diagnostic work-up, and most often the numerical data alone does not tell the whole story. Those most familiar with their hematology analyzer will be aware of multicolored scattergrams that accompany the reported data, and these graphical depictions provide additional information about inflammation, anemia, thrombocytopenia, cellular reactivity, and hemic neoplasia. In this talk, we will go behind the scenes to better understand the generation of these cytograms and learn to recognize key patterns, changes, and trends to help you solve some of your toughest diagnostic dilemmas.