Use of the Reflotron system for cholesterol assay in capillary blood, venous blood, and serum--evaluation of accuracy and lot-to-lot reagent comparability.

Since its recalibration in 1987, the Reflotron "dry-chemistry" cholesterol method can produce accurate results. Here we report how cholesterol concentrations in venous blood, plasma, and serum determined with Reflotron compare with values determined for fingerstick samples. When no EDTA is used in the latter, accurate results may meet the WHO/CDC criterion of a maximum bias less than or equal to 5%. Reflotron users should avoid use of EDTA. Lot-to-lot variation among the solid-phase reagent carriers was evaluated in four lots of these strips. The largest difference, 0.4 mmol/L, was seen in a commercial quality-control serum with a cholesterol concentration of approximately 7 mmol/L. The maximum differences in results for several serum pools were not always found between the same reagent lots, although the highest results in five of six materials occurred with a single lot of strips. As in all clinical chemical testing, regular quality control is necessary.