TABLE 2.

PROPORTION OF SAMPLES THAT ALTER MORE THAN THE PRESPECIFIED CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT THRESHOLD BY COLLECTION/HANDLING PARAMETER

	Proportion of Samples Altered by More than the Clinically Significant Threshold* (%)
Collection/Handling Variation	pH	Glucose
Presence of air	71	0
Lidocaine
0.2 ml	94	9
0.4 ml	96	19
1.0 ml	100	52
Heparin	21	31
Analysis delay
1 h	13	0
4 h	27	0
24 h	68	6

^*0.05 for pH and 1.0 mmol/L for glucose concentration.