The influence of undetected hemolysis on POCT potassium results in the emergency department

What is it about?

Discrepancies in potassium measurements between Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) and central laboratory (CL) methods, focusing on the impact of hemolysis on these measurements and its impact in the clinical practice in the emergency department (ED) must be explored. We conducted a retrospective analysis was using data from three European university hospitals comparing POCT potassium measurements in EDs with CL measurements. The severity of discrepancies between POCT and CL potassium measurements was assessed using the reference change value (RCV). The study highlighted the challenges in achieving consistent potassium measurement results between POCT and CL methods, particularly in the presence of hemolysis. It emphasised the need for integrated hemolysis detection systems in future blood gas analysis devices to minimise discrepancies and ensure accurate POCT results.

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