An evaluation of the accuracy of the Reflotron system in the field

The Reflotron system (Boehringer-Mannheim, West Germany) is a dry-chemistry analyser which has been used in cholesterol screening in the United States and Australia. The accuracy and precision of the instrument for use as a screening device for whole-blood cholesterol levels have been evaluated in clinical settings in both the United States and Australia; however, questions still arise from healthy practitioners about its performance in the field. We selected 30 participants in a community-screening programme to undergo a comparative analysis of cholesterol measurement by the Reflotron system compared with two standard laboratory procedures (one of which was carried out in a World Health Organization accredited laboratory). Analysis of the data showed that, after a minimum of training, results can be obtained on the Reflotron system in a community setting which are acceptable when compared with results that have been obtained on more commonly-used laboratory instruments.