title: Evaluation and performance characteristics of the Q Hemostasis Analyzer, an automated coagulation analyzer.
abstract: The Q Hemostasis Analyzer (Grifols, Barcelona, Spain) is a fully-automated random-access multiparameter analyzer, designed to perform coagulation, chromogenic and immunologic assays. It is equipped with a cap-piercing system. The instrument was evaluated in a hemostasis laboratory of a University Hospital with respect to its technical features in the determination of coagulation i.e. prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), thrombin time, fibrinogen and single coagulation factors V (FV) and VIII (FVIII), chromogenic [antithrombin (AT) and protein C activity] and immunologic assays [von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF:Ag) concentration], using reagents from the analyzer manufacturer. Total precision (evaluated as the coefficient of variation) was below 6% for most parameters both in normal and in pathological ranges, except for FV, FVIII, AT and vWF:Ag both in the normal and pathological samples. No carryover was detected in alternating aPTT measurement in a pool of normal plasma samples and in the same pool spiked with unfractionated heparin (>1.5 IU/mL). The effective throughput was 154 PT, 66 PT/aPTT, 42 PT/aPTT/fibrinogen, and 38 PT/aPTT/AT per hour, leading to 154 to 114 tests performed per hour, depending of the tested panel. Test results obtained on the Q Hemostasis Analyzer were well correlated with those obtained on the ACL TOP analyzer (Instrumentation Laboratory), with r between 0.862 and 0.989. In conclusion, routine coagulation testing can be performed on the Q Hemostasis Analyzer with satisfactory precision and the same apply to more specialized and specific tests.
authors.affiliation: Université Nice Sophia-Antipolis, Faculté de Médecine, Département d'Hématologie, Nice, France; CHU, Hôpital Pasteur, Service d'Hématologie Biologique, Nice, France. Electronic address: toulon.p@chu-nice.fr.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Toulon
authors.affiliation: CHU, Hôpital Pasteur, Service d'Hématologie Biologique, Nice, France.
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: CHU, Hôpital Pasteur, Service d'Hématologie Biologique, Nice, France.
authors.forename: Anny
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Appert-Flory
authors.affiliation: CHU, Hôpital Pasteur, Service d'Hématologie Biologique, Nice, France.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jambou
mesh_terms: D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000502:physiology*; D001780:Blood Coagulation Tests / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D010314:Partial Thromboplastin Time / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D011517:Prothrombin Time / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods
keywords: Coagulation analyzer; Evaluation; Q Hemostasis Analyzer