The pneumatic tube system does not affect complete blood count results; a validation study at a tertiary care hospital.
Author(s): Al-Riyami AZ, Al-Khabori M, Al-Hadhrami RM, Al-Azwani IS, Davis HM, Al-Farsi KS, Alkindi SS, Daar SF
Publication: Int J Lab Hematol, 2014, Vol. 36, Page 514-20
PubMed ID: 24373139 PubMed Review Paper? No
Purpose of Paper
The purpose of this paper was to determine if pneumatic tube system (PTS) transport effects complete blood count (CBC) results.
Conclusion of Paper
PTS transport resulted in a faster turnaround time for blood specimen analysis, yet CBC results in PTS-transported and courier-delivered specimens were generally very strongly correlated. However, in specimens from healthy individuals and those with thalassemia, basophil and monocyte counts were only modestly and strongly correlated, respectively, between PTS- and courier-transported specimens, and in patients with thalassemia, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) was strongly correlated between PTS- and courier-transported specimens.
Studies
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Study Purpose
The purpose of this study was to determine if PTS transport effects CBC results. Paired EDTA blood specimens from 59 healthy patients and 56 patients with thalassemia were sent 1565 feet to the lab by PTS at less than 6 m/s or they were sent in a cold box by courier and analyzed upon arrival. The mean turnaround time was 76 min for specimens transported by PTS and 128 min by courier.
Summary of Findings:
Hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), red blood cell distribution width (RDW), red blood cell counts (RBC), white blood cell counts (WBC), reticulocytes, absolute neutrophils, lymphocytes, eosinophils and platelets (PLT) were very strongly correlated between PTS and courier transported specimens (r=0.9213-0.9958), regardless of diagnosis. PTS- and courier-transported specimens from healthy patients had only modestly correlated basophil counts (r=0.5758) and strongly correlated monocyte counts (r=0.8605). For specimens from patients with thalassemia, PTS- and courier-transported specimens similarly had modestly correlated basophil counts (r=0.4827) and strongly correlated monocyte counts (r=0.8867), but in addition, MCH was only strongly correlated (r=0.7642)
Biospecimens
Preservative Types
- None (Fresh)
Diagnoses:
- Other diagnoses
- Normal
Platform:
Analyte Technology Platform Protein Hematology/ auto analyzer Cell count/volume Hematology/ auto analyzer Pre-analytical Factors:
Classification Pre-analytical Factor Value(s) Storage Within hospital transportation method Pneumatic tube system
Hand-delivered
Storage Specimen transport duration/condition 76 min
128 min
Preaquisition Diagnosis/ patient condition Healthy
Thalassemia