Clinical utility of a bedside blood analyzer for measuring blood chemistry values in neonates.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine whether blood chemistry measurements obtained by a bedside blood analyzer through an umbilical artery catheter agreed with those obtained with use of conventional laboratory analyzers.


METHODS
Forty-two neonates (1910 +/- 1000 gm) being treated in a level III neonatal intensive care unit had 88 blood samples drawn through an umbilical artery catheter. Serum sodium, potassium, glucose, and hematocrit concentrations were measured (n = 352) with use of a laboratory analyzer (0.7 ml of blood) and a bedside blood analyzer (0.06 ml of blood).


RESULTS
Only 5.7% of all measurement differences (20/352) were outside the predetermined clinically acceptable difference range, and just 1.4% (5/352) might have affected clinical decision making. Correlations between laboratory analyzer measurements and bedside blood analyzer measurements were excellent: serum potassium, r = 0.97, p = 0.0001; serum glucose, r = 0.93, p = 0.0001; and blood hematocrit, r = 0.93, p = 0.0001. Serum sodium measurement correlation was significant (p = 0.0001) but weaker (r = 0.86).


CONCLUSIONS
The bedside blood analyzer evaluated in this report is clinically useful for neonatal patients and could limit phlebotomy loss if used routinely.
Alex
C P
CP
St. Joseph's Hospital, Milwaukee, Wis., USA.
Manto
J C
JC
Garland
J S
JS
D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002404:Catheterization; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000097:blood*; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems / Q000592:standards*; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood; D014469:Umbilical Arteries
D001786:Blood Glucose; D012964:Sodium; D011188:Potassium