Influence of Biomaterial Delivery Method on Hemostasis Parameters

Introduction. According to the literature, transporting biomaterial for hemostasis lab tests by the pneumatic tube system may affect the results, particularly, due to mechanical effect on the blood cells. Objective: to validate platelet and plasma hemostasis parameters in patients receiving antithrombotic therapy during the biomaterial delivery to the laboratory either by pneumatic tubesor by the traditional “manual” method. Materials and Methods. The study included 52 pairs of samples of the venous blood withdrawn from 30 patients scheduled for the surgery. A loading dose of antiplatelet agents was prescribed to all patients before the surgery: acetylsalicylic acid 100 mg and clopidogrel 300 mg. Venous blood was collected in 2 test tubes: the first one was delivered to the laboratory by the pneumatic tube, the second one — by the nurse. Platelet aggregation activity was determined in each tube by turbidimetric method using inducers — ADP (10 µg/mL and 2.5 µg/mL) and collagen (20 mg/mL). Quick’s prothrombin time, international normalized ratio (INR), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen, thrombin time, and D-dimer were also measured. Results. The use of statistical comparison criteria for various options of the biomaterial delivery did not reveal significant differences in any of the parameters (p > 0.05). Comparison of the difference (expressed as the percentage) with the coefficient of analytical variation showed that for all parameters, differences during transportation by pneumatic tubes and “manually” did not exceed the coefficient of analytical variation. The smallest difference was observed in the APTT test — 0.2% elongation during delivery by pneumatic tube system. For INR, there were no differences depending on the delivery method. Conclusion. Blood transportation for assessing coagulation tests and platelet aggregation activity (by turbidimetric method) can be carried out in capsules of pneumatic tube system without loss in quality and any negative impact on the preanalytical stage. © 2023, Hemostasis and Rheology LLC. All rights reserved.