title: Analytical and clinical performance of the epoc blood analysis system: experience at a large tertiary academic medical center.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe validation and performance of epoc, a blood gas analysis point-of-care system, in a live clinical setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected for 156 epoc systems over 12 months. Preimplementation precision and correlation studies and postimplementation quality assurance data were collected, including test card, reader, and personal data assistant (PDA) failure rates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The coefficient of variation was clinically acceptable for all analytes. Correlation studies yielded an R(2) from 0.901 (for sodium) to 0.994 (for potassium) with the Nova analyzer and from 0.961 (sodium) to 0.991 (glucose) with the i-STAT. Average test card failure rate was 13%. Of the PDA/reader units, 55% needed repair within 1 year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The analytical performance showed high precision and good correlation with the Nova and i-STAT platforms. Test card and instrument failure rates were higher than that of the i-STAT system.
authors.affiliation: New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Core Laboratory, 622 W 168th St, PH3-363, New York, NY 10032; e-mail: ak2651@columbia.edu.
authors.forename: Brie A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Stotler
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kratz
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers
keywords: Blood gas analysis; Evaluation; Point-of-care testing; epoc