Wallach's Interpretation of Diagnostic Tests: Pathways to Arriving at a Clinical Diagnosis (799 page)

   Milky: chylous effusion

   Bloody: traumatic tap, intra-abdominal injury

   Cell counts and differential on lavage fluid

   RBC count >1 × 10
¹
1/L: intra-abdominal injury

   WBC count 0.5 × 10
⁹
/L: possible peritonitis

   Cell counts and differential on undiluted ascitic fluid

   WBC count 0.3 × 10
⁹
/L: bacterial peritonitis if >50% neutrophils, cirrhosis of the liver if <25% neutrophils

   Increased lymphocytes: tuberculous peritonitis

   Increased eosinophils: CHF, hypereosinophilic syndrome, eosinophilic gastroenteritis, chronic peritoneal dialysis, abdominal lymphoma, ruptured hydatid cyst, vasculitis

   Limitations

   All cell counts should be performed promptly to prevent cell deterioration; distorted or degenerated cells should not be counted.

   Specimens with large clots cannot be processed.

CERULOPLASMIN

   Definition