International Council for Standardization in Haematology (ICSH) recommendations for "Surrogate Reference" method for the packed cell volume

The spun packed cell volume (PCV, hematocrit) is a key measurement on which are based hematology instrument calibration, reference range determination, and assignment of values to calibrators/controls. In 2001, the International Council for Standardization in Haematology (ICSH) recommended a Reference PCV method, which is fully traceable to the ICSH reference hemoglobin method. Because of its complexity, however, this method is impractical for occasional use in routine laboratories and is therefore intended primarily for use by manufacturers of capillary microhematocrit tubes, liquid calibrators, and multi-channel analyzers. In response to the need for a simpler method - accessible to all routine laboratories - the ICSH offers this "Surrogate Reference" PCV procedure. It is traceable to the original ICSH Reference PCV method and is based on spun PCVs obtained using borosilicate capillary tubes with an already-known relationship to this reference procedure. This ICSH "Surrogate Reference" PCV method is substantially simpler, thus putting it within the reach of most routine hematology laboratories.