INTRODUCTION: CLSI recommends a minimal citrate tube fill volume of 90%. A validation protocol with clinical and analytical components was set up to determine the tube fill threshold for international normalized ratio of prothrombin time (PT-INR), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and fibrinogen. METHODS: Citrated coagulation samples from 16 healthy donors and eight patients receiving vitamin K antagonists (VKA) were evaluated. Eighty-nine tubes were filled to varying volumes of >50%. Coagulation tests were performed on ACL TOP 500 CTS(®) . Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) plot, with Total error (TE) and critical difference (CD) as possible acceptance criteria, was used to determine the fill threshold. RESULTS: Receiving Operating Characteristic was the most accurate with CD for PT-INR and TE for aPTT resulting in thresholds of 63% for PT and 80% for aPTT. By adapted ROC, based on threshold setting at a point of 100% sensitivity at a maximum specificity, CD was best for PT and TE for aPTT resulting in thresholds of 73% for PT and 90% for aPTT. For fibrinogen, the method was only valid with the TE criterion at a 63% fill volume. CONCLUSION: In our study, we validated the minimal citrate tube fill volumes of 73%, 90% and 63% for PT-INR, aPTT and fibrinogen, respectively.
INTRODUCTION: CLSI recommends a minimal citrate tube fill volume of 90%. A validation protocol with clinical and analytical components was set up to determine the tube fill threshold for international normalized ratio of prothrombin time (PT-INR), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and fibrinogen. METHODS: Citrated coagulation samples from 16 healthy donors and eight patients receiving vitamin K antagonists (VKA) were evaluated. Eighty-nine tubes were filled to varying volumes of >50%. Coagulation tests were performed on ACL TOP 500 CTS(®) . Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) plot, with Total error (TE) and critical difference (CD) as possible acceptance criteria, was used to determine the fill threshold. RESULTS: Receiving Operating Characteristic was the most accurate with CD for PT-INR and TE for aPTT resulting in thresholds of 63% for PT and 80% for aPTT. By adapted ROC, based on threshold setting at a point of 100% sensitivity at a maximum specificity, CD was best for PT and TE for aPTT resulting in thresholds of 73% for PT and 90% for aPTT. For fibrinogen, the method was only valid with the TE criterion at a 63% fill volume. CONCLUSION: In our study, we validated the minimal citrate tube fill volumes of 73%, 90% and 63% for PT-INR, aPTT and fibrinogen, respectively.