A survey of current practices in clinical flow cytometry.

In mid-1995, a 40-question survey was distributed to determine the current practices of clinical flow cytometry laboratories. Forty-seven responses were received. Included in the survey were questions regarding the affiliation and size of the laboratory, the qualifications of the staff, the nature and number of assays performed, whether laboratory resources and specimen loads were changing, and how data were analyzed and interpreted. The results indicate considerable variability in many aspects of clinical cytometry, such as number of markers used for immunophenotyping leukemias and lymphomas, types of specimens analyzed for DNA-ploidy, and charges for specific tests.