Laboratory evaluation of a novel capillary blood sampling device for measuring eight clinical chemistry parameters and HbA1c.
BACKGROUND
The Demecal set enables medically unskilled persons to produce diluted plasma from a single drop of capillary blood at any time and place. The sample is mailed to a certified laboratory for analysis. A marker compound in the dilution buffer enables to correct for individual blood sampling variation. A test dependent factor corrects for recovery of analytes.


METHODS
Glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL and LDL cholesterol, creatinine, BUN, uric acid and HbA1c were evaluated. We studied the correction procedure for sampling variation by the marker compound, the precision of the analyzer in the low range, the influence of characteristics of the set on analyte recovery, and the stability of the samples at different temperatures.


RESULTS
Using the marker compound in the buffer, variation in sampling could be corrected accurately. For dilutions up to 15 times, the precision of the analyzer was sufficient. Application of test specific recovery factors gave a good correlation with results of venous blood samples. Samples were stable for 4 days at 4 degrees C, 2-3 days at room temperature and 1 day at 37 degrees C.


CONCLUSIONS
The Demecal set can be considered an alternative for venous blood sampling for the tested parameters, enabling patient friendly management of chronic disease.
Gootjes
Jeannette
J
Medial Medisch-diagnostische laboratoria, Hoofddorp, The Netherlands. j.gootjes@medial.nl
Tel
Rense M
RM
Bergkamp
Ferry J M
FJ
Gorgels
Jozef P M C
JP
D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000295:instrumentation*; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D002196:Capillaries; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood
D001786:Blood Glucose; D002784:Cholesterol; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D003404:Creatinine; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D014280:Triglycerides; D014527:Uric Acid