Table 1.
Variability in hematological parameters from two different brands of K3EDTA vacuum tubes.
| Comprehensive results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hematological parameters (unit) | Desirable Bias (%) | Tube I | Tube II | Mean % difference |
| (P value) | ||||
| RBC∗ (×106/μL) | 1.7 | 5.12 ± 0.41 [4.28–5.71] | 5.08 ± 0.40 [4.31–5.64] | 0.8 (<0.01) |
| HCT∗ (%) | 1.7 | 43.5 ± 3.1 [37.9–49.4] | 42.9 ± 3.1 [36.9–49.1] | 1.4 (< 0.01) |
| HGB∗ (g/dL) | 1.8 | 14.31 ± 1.13 [12.80–16.70] | 14.29 ± 1.15 [12.70–16.70] | 0.1 (0.56) |
| MCV∗∗ (fL) | 1.2 | 85.9 ± 6.7 [81.4–87.6] | 85.6 ± 6.7 [81.1–87.0] | 0.4 (< 0.01) |
| MCHC∗∗ (pg) | 1.4 | 28.6 ± 3.1 [26.6–29.3] | 28.9 ± 3.2 [26.6–29.3] | −1.0 (0.87) |
| RDW∗∗ (%) | 1.7 | 12.6 ± 1.1 [12.4–13.6] | 12.6 ± 1.1 [12.4–13.7] | 0.0 (0.94) |
| WBC∗ (×103/μL) | 5.6 | 5.80 ± 1.08 [4.00–7.91] | 5.88 ± 1.11 [3.94–8.01] | −1.4 (0.15) |
| LYMPHO∗ (×103/μL) | 7.4 | 1.90 ± 0.66 [0.81–3.33] | 1.92 ± 0.70 [0.78–3.64] | −1.0 (0.54) |
| MONO∗ (×103/μL) | 13.2 | 0.35 ± 0.13 [0.17–0.69] | 0.36 ± 0.12 [0.21–0.63] | −2.9 (0.27) |
| NEU∗ (×103/μL) | 9.0 | 3.35 ± 0.73 [2.38–4.93] | 3.37 ± 0.72 [2.48–5.09] | −0.6 (0.36) |
| EOS∗ (×103/μL) | 19.8 | 0.15 ± 0.10 [0.02–0.36] | 0.15 ± 0.10 [0.02–0.37] | 0.0 (0.75) |
| BASO∗ (×103/μL) | 15.4 | 0.041 ± 0.016 [0.020–0.070] | 0.044 ± 0.020 [0.010–0.090] | −7.3 (0.38) |
| LUC∗ (×103/μL) | NA | 0.154 ± 0.048 [0.070–0.260] | 0.158 ± 0.054 [0.070–0.270] | −2.6 (0.41) |
| PLT∗ (×103/μL) | 5.9 | 298.3 ± 61.5 [228.0–431.0] | 292.7 ± 56.3 [224.0–407.0] | 1.9 (0.02) |
| MPV∗ (fL) | 2.3 | 8.45 ± 0.69 [7.30–9.80] | 8.75 ± 0.84 [7.40–10.6] | −3.6 (< 0.01) |
| PDW∗∗ (%) | 1.4 | 54.4 ± 6.6 [48.9–57.2] | 51.8 ± 10.4 [48.8–58.6] | 4.8 (< 0.01) |
∗Normal distribution; the values were mean ± standard deviation (range: minimum-maximum); P value represents the significance by paired Student's t-test.
∗∗Nonnormal distribution; the values were median ± standard deviation (5th–95th percentiles); P value represents the significance by Wilcoxon ranked-pairs test.
The bold P values are statistically significant (P < 0.05), and bold mean % differences represent clinically significant variations, when compared with desirable bias [15].
NA: not available [15].
Tube I: 4.5 mL Labor Import lot 20100505 (concentration of K3EDTA inside the tube is not made known by Shandong Weigao Group Medical Polymer, Weihai, China).
Tube II: 1.2 mL S-Monovette lot 0092201 with 1.6 mg K3EDTA (Sarstedt, Nümbrecht, Germany).