Different manufacturers of syringes: A new source of variability in blood gas, acid–base balance and related laboratory test?

ObjectiveEvaluate whether four different brands/types of heparin coated syringes can represent a source of variability in blood gas analysis (BGA).Design and methodsBlood was collected from one hundred volunteers into different syringes: Syringe I (lithium heparin and calcium balanced); Syringe II: in-house prepared (sodium heparin); Syringe III: (spray-dried calcium-balanced lithium heparin); Syringe IV (lyophilized electrolyte-balanced lithium heparin).ResultsSignificant differences were as follows: a) Syringe I vs II: pO2, sO2, pCO2t, cHCO3−, ctCO2, base excess (BE), total hemoglobin (tHb), sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+), glucose (Glu), lactate (Lac), O2 Hb and p 50; b) Syringe I vs III: pH, pO2, cHCO3−, ctCO2, BE, Na+, Glu, Lac and p 50; c) Syringe I vs IV: pH, pO2, sO2, pCO2t, BE, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Glu, Lac and O2 Hb; d) Syringe II vs III: pH, pO2, sO2, pCO2t, cHCO3−, ctCO2, ctO2, tHb, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Lac and p 50; e) Syringe II vs IV: pH, pO2, sO2, pCO2t, cHCO3−, ctCO2, BE, tHb, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Lac, O2 Hb and p 50; f) Syringe III vs IV: pH, pO2, sO2, cHCO3−, ctCO2, ctO2, BE, Na+, K+, Ca2+, O2 Hb and p 50.ConclusionThe different manufacturers of syringes can represent new source of variability on BGA.

► Frequently blood for BGA is collected using dedicated or in-house prepared syringes.
► BGA results from blood collection using four different syringe brands were compared.
► Different brand syringes can represent a new a potential source of variability in BGA.