RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Rapid serum clot tubes reduce haemolysis due to pneumatic tube transport
JF Journal of Clinical Pathology
JO J Clin Pathol
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Association of Clinical Pathologists
SP jclinpath-2021-208126
DO 10.1136/jclinpath-2021-208126
A1 Koch, Christopher D
A1 Vera, Michael A
A1 El-Khoury, Joe M
YR 2022
UL http://jcp.bmj.com/content/early/2022/03/09/jclinpath-2021-208126.abstract
AB Aims Pneumatic tube systems (PTSs) are critical for modern hospital operations, allowing for rapid sample transport. Despite widespread use, PTSs can compromise specimen integrity and affect laboratory values. Our objective was to prove that rapid serum clot tubes (RST) provide protective benefits over plasma during PTS transport and can be a practical solution for certain PTS routes.Methods In this study, we compared the effects of PTS transport on cell lysis indicators: h-index, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and potassium (K+), in RST versus lithium heparin gel separator tubes using 10 volunteers.Results In comparison with plasma, RST showed a median reduction in PTS-induced haemolysis of 80.4% (p=0.0049), with a reduction in post-PTS median LDH concentration (49.7%, p=0.04) and K+ concentration (50.0%, p=0.0273).Conclusion This study demonstrates RST tubes can significantly reduce PTS-induced haemolysis and can be recommended for poor PTS routes.