Although Oğuzhan Zengi (2023) has explored the practicality and technical aspects of shifting from gel serum tubes to lithium heparin (LIH) gel tubes in clinical laboratories, there is still a gap in understanding the impact on patient outcomes and healthcare quality.
The utilization of lithium heparin tubes has the potential to improve the healthcare quality and patient outcomes. Some of the advantages of employing it include enhanced sample quality, a lesser incidence of aspiration errors, and a shorter turnaround time in the emergency lab (Zengi, 2023). Furthermore, plasma contains less interferences than serum, which could give rise to a favorable result. As a result, the transition of gel separator serum tubes to lithium heparin gel tubes may result to a quicker and more accurate result which is advantageous in ensuring that the test result can be reliable when screening, diagnosing and monitoring the patient.
References:
- Yuan-hua Wei, Chun-bing Zhang, Xue-wen Yang, Ming-de Ji. (2010) The Feasibility of Using Lithium-Heparin Plasma from a Gel Separator Tube as a Substitute for Serum in Clinical Biochemical Tests. Laboratory Medicine, 41(4), 215–219. https://doi.org/10.1309/LMIXVAI70KS0UWQI
- Zengi, O. (2023). The transition from gel separatory serum tubes to lithium heparin gel tubes in the clinical laboratory. Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine, 6(5), 998–1009. https://doi.org/10.32322/jhsm.1341282
- Badges
- Science topic