title: The HemoCue, a point of care B-hemoglobin photometer, measures hemoglobin concentrations accurately when mixed in vitro with canine plasma and three hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOC).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Accuracy of measurement of low hemoglobin concentrations using the HemoCue, a B-hemoglobin photometer (HemoCue AB, Angelholm, Sweden) may exhibit significant variability. Infusion of hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOC) results in low concentrations of plasma hemoglobin. Our study assessed B-hemoglobin photometer measurement accuracy of three HBOC: (hemoglobin glutamer-200 (bovine; Oxyglobin, Biopure Corp., Cambridge, MA, USA); hemoglobin glutamer-250 (bovine; Hemopure, Biopure Corp, Cambridge, MA, USA), and hemoglobin-raffimer, (human; Hemolink, Hemosol, Inc., Toronto, Ontario, Canada).
  
  
  METHODS
  In the laboratory, 45 split canine plasma samples were mixed with hemoglobin glutamer-200 (8.13, 16.25, 32.5 g x L(-1) concentrations), 45 samples were mixed with hemoglobin glutamer-250 (8.13, 16.25, 32.5 g x L(-1) concentrations), 45 with hemoglobin-raffimer (12.5, 25.0, 50.0 g x L(-1) concentrations), and measured. Plasma samples without HBOC served as control. Hemoglobin concentration was determined by a laboratory analyzer (Coulter Corporation, Hiafeah, FL, USA) and B-hemoglobin photometer (HemoCue, Angelholm, Sweden). Two independent technicians performed blinded sample measurements and randomly tested each sample five times. Results were analyzed according to Bland and Altman analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  B-hemoglobin photometer demonstrated high repeatability for all three HBOCs. Repeatability coefficients were 0.37 g x L(-1) and 0.48 g x L(-1) for hemoglobin glutamer-200, 0.39 g x L(-1) and 0.4 g x L(-1) for hemoglobin glutamer-250 and 1.07 g x L(-1) and 0.85 g x L(-1) for hemoglobin-raffimer. An acceptable agreement was found between the B-hemoglobin photometer and the laboratory analyzer for all three HBOCs tested.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The B-hemoglobin photometer accurately determined the concentration of three HBOC solutions dissolved in canine plasma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, University of California Los Angeles, School of Medicine, USA. jsjahr@mednet.ucla.edu
authors.forename: Jonathan S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Jahr
authors.forename: Fedor
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lurie
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Driessen
authors.forename: Jessica A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gosselin
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Gunther
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D010783:Photometry / Q000295:instrumentation*
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D010100:Oxygen