Lab Med Online.  2013 Jul;3(3):145-154. 10.3343/lmo.2013.3.3.145.

Comparison between V-Tubes and BD Vacutainer Tubes for Use in Laboratory Tests

• Won EJ
• Shin MG
• Jang MJ
• Cho D
• Kee SJ
• Kim SH
• Shin JH
• Won Y
• Ryang DW
• Suh SP

• KMID: 2053549
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3343/lmo.2013.3.3.145

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Vacuum tubes are widely used in clinical laboratories for routine tests. We compared a newly developed V-tube (AB Medical, Korea) and BD tubes (BD, USA) in common clinical assays, i.e., hematological, chemical, and immunological tests.
METHODS
In total, 100 volunteers comprising 79 patients and 21 healthy volunteers were recruited and peripheral blood samples were collected with 2 brands of EDTA tubes and serum-separating tubes (SSTs). EDTA-tube samples were evaluated using 16 routine hematological tests. The SST samples were analyzed for 32 routine chemical parameters and 3 thyroid hormones. The results were statistically analyzed using the paired t-test and Bland-Altman plot. In addition, the stability of each analyte in 2 brands of vacutainers was evaluated. The results of the hematological tests at t=0 hr were compared with those at t=72+/-2 hr, and the results of the chemical parameters and thyroid hormones at t=0 hr were compared with those at t=72+/-2 hr and t=168+/-2 hr for each tube.
RESULTS
Paired t-test analysis revealed that the test results of 16 routine hematological parameters, 32 routine chemical parameters, and 3 thyroid hormones showed clinically allowable differences between the 2 brands of vacuum tubes (t=0 hr). The results obtained when using V-tubes showed a statistically significant correlation with those obtained when using BD tubes. The stability of each analyte was similar in both vacuum tubes. Except for 10 parameters (white blood cell count, mean corpuscular volume, basophils [%], mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, monocytes [%], phospholipid, sodium, potassium, chloride, and free T4), all parameters showed significant but clinically allowable differences with regard to storage duration.
CONCLUSIONS
The newly developed V-tube vacutainers provide a suitable alternative to BD tubes in common clinical laboratories.

Keyword

V-tube; BD tube; Comparison

MeSH Terms

Basophils
Blood Cell Count
Edetic Acid
Erythrocyte Indices
Hematologic Tests
Humans
Monocytes
Potassium
Sodium
Thyroid Hormones
Vacuum
Edetic Acid
Potassium
Sodium
Thyroid Hormones

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Bland-Altman plot of the complete blood count in samples collected in V tubes and BD vacutainers. (A) white blood cell count, (B) red blood cell count, (C) hemoglobin, (D) hematocrit, (E) mean corpuscular volume, (F) mean corpuscular hemoglobin, (G) mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, (H) platelet, (I) red cell distribution width, (J) platelet distribution width, (K) neutrophil (%), (L) lymphocyte (%), (M) monocyte (%), (N) eosinophil (%), (P) basophil (%).

• 

  Fig. 2 Bland-Altman plots of the chemical parameter tests in samples collected in V tubes and BD vacutainers. (A) aspartate aminotransferase, (B) alanine aminotransferase, (C) alkaline phosphatase, (D) gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, (E) total protein, (F) albumin, (G) blood urea nitrogen, (H) creatinine, (I) total bilirubin, (J) direct bilirubin, (K) triglyceride, (L) total cholesterol, (M) high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, (N) low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, (P) glucose, (Q) uric acid, (R) calcium, (S) inorganic phosphorus, (T) creatine kinase, (U) amylase, (V) lactate dehydrogenase, W) magnesium, (X) iron, (Y) unsaturated iron-binding capacity, (Z) creatine kinase myocardial band isoenzyme, (AA) phospholipid, (AB) lipase, (AC) total iron-binding capacity, (AD) sodium, (AE) potassium, (AF) chloride.

• 

  Fig. 3 Bland-Altman plot of the thyroid hormone tests in samples collected in V tubes and BD vacutainers. (A) triiodothyronine, (B) free thyroxine, (C) thyroid-stimulating hormone.

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