Evaluation of 24-second cyanide-containing and cyanide-free methods for whole blood hemoglobin on the Technicon H*1TM analyzer with normal and abnormal blood samples.

Automated methods, with and without cyanide (+CN and -CN), for whole blood hemoglobin (Hb) determination were evaluated on the Technicon H*1TM System. Both automated Hb methods were linear over the range 0-250 g/L (0-25 g/dL) and correlated well with the International Committee for Standardization of Hematology (ICSH) reference method and with the Coulter S+II. Both methods quantitatively converted whole blood containing up to 100% carboxyhemoglobin in less than 24 seconds to their respective end products. With respect to abnormal samples (sickle cell anemia, multiple myeloma, and hyperlipemia), both H*1 methods gave Hb results that were equivalent to the (postfiltration) ICSH method. For samples with white blood cell (WBC) counts less than 36 X 10(9)/L, the +CN method was equivalent to the (postfiltration) ICSH method, whereas for WBC counts greater than 20 X 10(9)/L, the -CN method showed acceptable recovery of the mean but unacceptable imprecision. For WBC counts of 36-164 X 10(9)/L, the +CN method yielded acceptable Hb recovery with unacceptable imprecision. Hyperlipemia, resulting from addition of Intralipid directly to the blood samples, caused large errors in both H*1 methods.