Editor's note:The 2019 AAP National Conference & Exhibition will take place from Oct. 25-29 in New Orleans.
YoungNa Lee-Kim, M.D., FAAP, will present “Interpreting the Complete Blood Count: Factors Influencing Results” from 4-4:45 p.m. Monday, Oct. 28 (F4193) in room R09 of the convention center and again from 8:30-9:15 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29 (F5018) in rooms 225-227.
Dr. Lee-Kim is associate professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and fellowship director at Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Services. She is a member of the AAP Section on Hematology/Oncology.
In the following Q&A, Dr. Lee-Kim summarizes what she plans to discuss during the session and why pediatricians should attend.
Q: What are the key things you will be covering during the session?
A: In this session, we will discuss how to use the complete blood count (CBC) parameters to effectively interpret cytopenias.
Q: Why is this an important topic for pediatricians to learn more about?
A: The complete blood count is recommended by the AAP as a routine screening test for children around 1 year of age and is frequently used in the initial diagnostic evaluation of many common disorders. Thus, it is important for pediatricians to understand how to effectively interpret results using the CBC parameters and patient-related factors.
Q: How did you get interested in this topic?
A: As a pediatric hematologist, an abnormality reported on the CBC is one of the most common referrals I receive from pediatricians.
Q: What is the take-home message of the session?
A: It is important for pediatricians to be able to interpret common abnormalities seen on the CBC and identify those that require urgent referral.
For more coverage of the 2019 AAP National Conference & Exhibition, visit http://bit.ly/AAPNationalConference19.
