Abstract
Objectives
The aim was to evaluate the stability of serum bicarbonate at room temperature, depending on time to centrifugation and air exposure.
Methods
Stability study was conducted in the laboratory of Clinical Hospital Centre Rijeka, Croatia in January-February 2022. Nine samples from 10 volunteers were collected in clot activator gel tubes (Greiner Bio-One). Bicarbonate was measured on Beckman Coulter AU480 (Beckman Coulter, Brea, USA). Three tubes were left at room temperature for 30 min, three tubes for 2 h, three tubes for 4 h until centrifugation. First tube from first group (baseline) was measured immediately after centrifugation. Other measurements were expressed as percentage deviation (PD%) from baseline. First tube was remeasured after 1 and 2 h (OT_0h_1h; OT_0h_2h). Second and third tubes were opened 1 and 2 h after centrifugation (C_0h_1h; C_0h_2h). Second group of tubes was processed the same way with 2-hour centrifugation delay (WB_2h; OT_2h_1h; OT_2h_2h; C_2h_1h; C_2h_2h), and third group with 4-hour delay (WB_4h; OT_4h_1h; OT_4h_2h; C_4h_1h; C_4h_2h). PD% was compared to Maximum Permissible Difference (MPD=5.69%). MedCalc statistical software was used (MedCalc, Ostend, Belgium).
Results
Bicarbonate baseline mean value (range) was 27.3 (23.4–29.6) mmol/L. Obtained PD% (95%CI) were: C_0h_1h 0.46 (−1.21, 2.12); C_0h_2h 0.18 (−2.22, 2.57); OT_0h_1h −6.46 (−7.57, −5.36); OT_0h_2h −10.67 (−12.13, −9.21); WB_2h −0.15 (−2.04, 1.74); C_2h_1h 0.01 (−1.52, 1.54); C_2h_2h −0.40 (−2.65, 1.85); OT_2h_1h −5.43 (−7.30, −3.55); OT_2h_2h −11.32 (−13.57, −9.07); WB_4h −0.85 (−3.28, 1.58); C_4h_1h −2.52 (−4.93, 0.11); C_4h_2h −3.02 (−5.62, 0.43); OT_4h_1h −7.34 (−9.64, −5.05); OT_4h_2h −11.85 (−14.38, −9.33).
Conclusions
Serum bicarbonate is stable for 4 h in closed uncentrifuged tubes, another 2 h in closed tubes after centrifugation, and is unstable within 1 h in opened tube.
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Research funding: None declared.
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Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
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Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.
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Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.
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Ethical approval: This study complies with all relevant national regulations, institutional policies and is in accordance with the tenets of the Helsinki Declaration (as revised in 2013) and has been approved by the hospital Ethics Committee (Approval number 003-05/21-1/120, December 2, 2021).
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Data availability: All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.
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Supplementary Material
This article contains supplementary material (https://doi.org/10.1515/cclm-2022-1182).
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