[Laboratory haematological changes in the field of intensive care medicine--the extended differential blood count].

One of the most frequently ordered tests by intensive care medical staff is the complete (CBC) and differential blood count for diagnosing anemia due to blood loss, characterizing thrombopenic conditions or finding proof for sepsis. Classically, the clinician relies on the quantification of single cell classes for substitutive therapy especially in ermegency situtations. Here, the authors discuss new possibilities offered by markers of the extended blood count from fully automatized haematology analyzers supplying valuable information for monitoring therapies in intensive care units.