Related Experiment Videos
Field evaluation of the Becton-Dickinson SST
Health Laboratory Science
|July 1, 1976
Summary
The new Serum Separator Tube (SST) for blood collection showed no clinically significant changes in 18 tests. Minor statistically significant variations were noted for certain analytes, but these are unlikely to impact patient care.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Chemistry
- Laboratory Medicine
- Medical Devices
Background:
- The Becton-Dickinson VACUTAINER BRAND SERUM SEPARATOR TUBE (SST) utilizes a silicon polymer barrier to separate serum from red blood cells post-centrifugation.
- Evaluating new blood collection devices is crucial for ensuring accurate diagnostic testing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the performance of the SST evacuated blood drawing tube in a real-world clinical setting.
- To compare the SST with conventional blood collection tubes across multiple clinical chemistry assays.
Main Methods:
- A field evaluation was conducted in five hospitals.
- Eighteen clinical chemistry determinations were analyzed using the SST.
- Data were analyzed for both complete and abnormal subsets for each test.
Main Results:
- No clinically significant SST-induced changes were observed for the majority of the 18 analytes tested.
- Statistically significant changes (p=0.05) were detected for bicarbonate, calcium, chloride, cholesterol, glucose, and sodium.
- A previously noted statistically significant LDH bias was absent in this study.
Conclusions:
- The SST evacuated blood drawing tube demonstrates acceptable performance for routine clinical chemistry testing.
- While minor statistically significant variations exist for certain analytes, they are unlikely to be clinically relevant.
- The SST offers a viable alternative to conventional blood collection tubes, with improved LDH bias compared to prior evaluations.