Point-of-Care Testing Effectiveness on Blood Donor Hemoglobin Testing

Area of Science:

• Clinical diagnostics
• Hematology
• Point-of-care testing

Background:

• Hemoglobin (Hb) evaluation is crucial for identifying potential blood donors with borderline or anaemic levels.
• Point-of-care testing (POCT) devices are used for rapid Hb assessment in blood donors.
• Ensuring the effective performance of POCT analyzers is essential for accurate donor screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the performance of a specific POCT device (EKF Diagnostics) against a standard automated cell counter (Sysmex XN-550).
• To evaluate the accuracy and agreement of Hb measurements between the two testing methods.

Main Methods:

• Spearman correlation and Intraclass correlation were used to compare Hb measurements from both devices.
• The Bland-Altman method was employed to analyze the level of agreement between the POCT device and the automated cell counter.
• Hb measurements were compared across various scenarios, including venous and capillary blood samples.

Main Results:

• The correlation between the POCT device and the automated cell counter was strongest when comparing venous blood samples.
• The POCT device demonstrated a tendency to overestimate hemoglobin levels when using capillary blood.

Conclusions:

• The POCT device's overestimation of Hb in capillary blood necessitates adjustments to Hb requirements for blood donors.
• When feasible, repeating Hb testing on venous blood using an automated cell counter is advised for greater accuracy.
• It is recommended that each facility establish its own specific Hb threshold for donor eligibility based on validated testing methods.