Which of the following is least helpful in evaluating bone marrow findings?

a. Differential performed on the aspirate
b. Clinical findings
c. Laboratory data from chemistry, immunology, and microbiology
d. Examination of peripheral blood

ANS: C
All clinical laboratory findings should be interpreted in light of the clinical findings (physical examination and history). It is also important to compare the bone marrow findings from the differential with what is in peripheral blood, because blood cells are derived from the bone marrow. In general, laboratory data from other sections of the laboratory are not needed; however, this is not the case when working up patients for certain diseases (e.g., protein electrophoresis in a patient suspected to have multiple myeloma).