Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Aug 2020
Comparative StudyComparison of Hemoglobin Measurements by 3 Point-of-Care Devices With Standard Laboratory Values and Reliability Regarding Decisions for Blood Transfusion.
We compared the accuracy of 3 point-of-care testing (POCT) devices with central laboratory measurements and the extent to which between-method disagreements could influence decisions to transfuse blood. ⋯ All 3 POCT devices underestimated the Lab[Hb] and cannot be used interchangeably with standard laboratory measurements. BG_A and BG_B can be considered to be acceptably interchangeable with each other. Whereas the HemoCue had little bias and good precision, the blood gas analyzers revealed large bias and poor precision. We conclude that the tested HemoCue provides more reliable measurements, especially within the critical 6-10 g/dL range, with reduced potential for transfusion errors. Decisions regarding erythrocyte transfusions should also be considered in the light of clinical findings.