Blood Sample Reliability Using Infusing Intravenous Lines

摘要

Patients receiving care, whether arriving in the Emergency Department, or admitted to the ward, often have intravenous lines for the purpose of treatment. Yet, even with a preexisting vascular access device being available, we continue to use phlebotomy as the gold standard for blood specimen collection. If nurses and medical technicians could use a preexisting intravenous lines for blood collection there would be a reduction in patient care costs, increase in patient comfort, and increase in expeditious care. The purpose of this study was to investigate the interchangeability of specimens collected using infusing intravenous lines versus traditional phlebotomy collection methods. This study was designed to be a quasi-experimental operational replication of a study completed in 1999 by Himberger and Himberger (2001). Their study evaluated the interchangeability of 12 commonly performed laboratory tests and concluded the two collection methods yielded interchangeable results. Following Institutional Review Board approval a sample of 30 patients was used for the study. Enrollment occurred through the Malcolm Grow Medical Center Emergency Department. Subjects were identified and informed consent was obtained, the specimens were collected and tested. The results were evaluated using a paired t test and agreement analysis method and it was determined that specimens collected through infusing intravenous lines, simultaneously with phlebotomy, are interchangeable using this protocol.