Evaluation of the GEM®PCL Plus point-of-care device for neonatal coagulation assessment: an observational study on...

Point of care devices (POCT) are used for coagulation evaluation in adults. Reduced blood volumes and the direct use of whole blood allow studies when venous puncture is difficult, such as in newborns. Elimination of sample transport is attractive for use in emergencies and intensive care.

To prospectively compare neonatal coagulation parameters measured by the GEM®PCL POCT versus a central laboratory.

Prothrombin Time (PT) and activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (aPTT) were performed on whole cord blood (POCT) and plasma (central laboratory) collected from consecutive newborns at Geneva University Hospitals. Agreement was assessed with a Bland & Altman plot and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) in 213 newborns cord blood; intra-assay variability (repeatability) was assessed using ICC and coefficient of variation (CV).

189 samples were available for the agreement analysis, 24 were excluded for technical problems. The 95% limits of agreements in the Bland & Altman plot ranged from -5.6 to 11.6 and from -39.6 to 11.6seconds for the PT and aPTT, respectively. The ICC between the two methods was 0.28 (CI 95% 0.06 to 0.47) for PT and 0.20 (CI 95% -0.06 to 0.42) for aPTT. Repeatability (ICC) on the 43 eligible samples was 0.46 (CI 95% 0.19 to 0.67) for PT and 0.52 (CI 95% 0.26 to 0.71) for aPTT. The CV was 10.6% and 12% for PT and aPTT, respectively.

In newborn cord blood, PT and aPTT measurements with the GEM®PCL POCT had poor agreement with the central laboratory and poor repeatability.