According to a study by Nick Neuwinger et al. (October 2019) on the impact of underfilling vacuum blood collection tubes on lactate dehydrogenase activity, systematic approaches were used to assess the impact of underfilling on LD activity and other parameters in a controlled experimental setting, providing valuable insights into the preanalytical factors affecting blood sample quality and laboratory test results.
The researchers systematically analyzed the influence of various preanalytical conditions on lactate dehydrogenase (LD), potassium (K), and hemolysis index by varying the filling level of blood collection tubes and the time prior to centrifugation. They compared these parameters to other electrolytes, enzymes, and proteins in serum and lithium heparin blood collection tubes. Blood collection vacuum tubes from Greiner BioOne GmbH, including Serum (SE) and heparin plasma (HP) tubes, were utilized, with a needle gauge of 21G x ¾ and tubing length of 7 ½”. Blood was collected from the antecubital vein, with multiple SE and HP tubes obtained from each volunteer, either filled completely or to approximately 50%. Samples were stored at room temperature for either 30 minutes or 4 hours before processing. Methods such as Indirect Ion Selective Electrode (Indirect ISE) were employed to determine the parameters, with specimen quality checked using serum indices (Nick Neuwinger et al., 2019).