TY - JOUR
T1 - The clinical significance of patient specimen transport modality
T2 - Pneumatic tube system impact on blood gas analytes
AU - Carabini, Louanne M.
AU - Nouriel, Jacob
AU - Milian, Ricardo Diaz
AU - Glogovsky, Erin R.
AU - McCarthy, Robert J.
AU - Handler, Thomas G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Daedalus Enterprises.
PY - 2016/10/1
Y1 - 2016/10/1
N2 - INTRODUCTION: A pneumatic tube system (PTS) is a cost-effective, rapid transport modality that utilizes induced pressure changes. We evaluated the clinical importance of 2 transport modalities, human courier and PTS, for blood gas specimens. METHODS: Following open heart surgery, 35 simultaneous pairs of arterial and venous blood gas specimens were analyzed from 20 subjects. Of each pair, one specimen was transported to the blood gas laboratory via a human courier and the other via a SwissLog PTS. Transport modalities were compared using the Bland-Altman limits of agreement method. RESULTS: Compared with the walked specimen, the bias for PaCO2 was-8.0 mm Hg (95% CI,-40.0 to 24.5 mm Hg); PaCO2, -0.94 mm Hg (95% CI,-3.76 to 1.86 mm Hg); PvO2,-0.60 mm Hg (95% CI,-6.90 to 5.70 mm Hg); PvCO2,-0.58 mm Hg (95% CI,-3.12 to 1.92 mm Hg) for the PTS specimen. CONCLUSION: The difference in the PO2 and PaCO2 of paired (walked vs tubed) arterial and venous blood gas specimens demonstrated a slight bias. PaCO2 values demonstrated the greatest bias, however not clinically important. Thus, PTS transport does not impact clinical interpretations of blood gas values.
AB - INTRODUCTION: A pneumatic tube system (PTS) is a cost-effective, rapid transport modality that utilizes induced pressure changes. We evaluated the clinical importance of 2 transport modalities, human courier and PTS, for blood gas specimens. METHODS: Following open heart surgery, 35 simultaneous pairs of arterial and venous blood gas specimens were analyzed from 20 subjects. Of each pair, one specimen was transported to the blood gas laboratory via a human courier and the other via a SwissLog PTS. Transport modalities were compared using the Bland-Altman limits of agreement method. RESULTS: Compared with the walked specimen, the bias for PaCO2 was-8.0 mm Hg (95% CI,-40.0 to 24.5 mm Hg); PaCO2, -0.94 mm Hg (95% CI,-3.76 to 1.86 mm Hg); PvO2,-0.60 mm Hg (95% CI,-6.90 to 5.70 mm Hg); PvCO2,-0.58 mm Hg (95% CI,-3.12 to 1.92 mm Hg) for the PTS specimen. CONCLUSION: The difference in the PO2 and PaCO2 of paired (walked vs tubed) arterial and venous blood gas specimens demonstrated a slight bias. PaCO2 values demonstrated the greatest bias, however not clinically important. Thus, PTS transport does not impact clinical interpretations of blood gas values.
KW - Blood gas
KW - Cardiopulmonary
KW - Specimen transport
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U2 - 10.4187/respcare.04809
DO - 10.4187/respcare.04809
M3 - Article
C2 - 27601719
AN - SCOPUS:84989172089
SN - 0020-1324
VL - 61
SP - 1311
EP - 1315
JO - Respiratory Care
JF - Respiratory Care
IS - 10
ER -