Positive interference in lithium determinations from clot activator in collection container.
We describe positive interference with the ion-selective electrode determination of lithium (Lytening 2Z analyzer; Dade) when blood is collected in a 10-mL plain red-top plastic Vacutainer Plus Tube (Becton Dickinson) containing a silica clot activator and silicone surfactant (prod. no. 36-7820). We evaluated both the original tube (blue-labeled) and a new tube formulated to contain less silicone surfactant (striped-labeled). We determined that the interference is from either the silica clot activator or the silicone surfactant used to fix the silica to the tube and is inversely related to the volume of blood in the tube. Long-term intermittent exposure of the Li ion-selective electrode to the silica clot activator or surfactant results in decreased Li values--in terms of both the positive interference by the silica clot activator or surfactant and the actual Li determinations. Moreover, this long-term interference with the Li ion-selective electrode for patient's specimens is undetected by the Dade control material (QCLytes).
Sampson
M
M
Clinical Pathology Department, Warren G. Magnuson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. msampson@nih.gov
Ruddel
M
M
Albright
S
S
Elin
R J
RJ
D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000187:drug effects; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D017736:Ion-Selective Electrodes; D008094:Lithium / Q000097:blood*; D011786:Quality Control; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D012828:Silicones; D013501:Surface-Active Agents
D012828:Silicones; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D008094:Lithium