Point-of-Care Testing Effectiveness on Blood Donor Hemoglobin Testing

BACKGROUND: Hemoglobin (Hb) evaluation by point-of-care testing (POCT) identifies borderline or anaemic asymptomatic blood donors. Although quality control checks confirm that this device is fit for use, it is still not clear whether the analyser is performing effectively. A protocol comparing the POCT EKF Diagnostics with the Sysmex XN-550 automated cell counter (ACC) has been designed. METHODS: Various scenarios of Hb measurements from the ACC and the POCT device are compared using the Spearman correlation and Intraclass correlation. The Bland-Altman method was used to analyse the level of agreement between the two devices. RESULTS: Correlation between the two devices was best observed in the venous vs venous blood scenario. CONCLUSION: The POCT device overestimates the Hb levels in capillary blood, meaning that Hb requirements should be adjusted and when feasible testing repeated on venous blood using an ACC. Furthermore, it is suggested thar each Facility determine their own Hb threshold.