Biological sample transport system with pneumatic tube vs. Manual procedure in hematological and biochemical parameter values
Keywords:
Laboratory analysis, blood sample collection, lactate dehydrogenase, hemolysisAbstract
Pneumatic tube systems (PTS) facilitate the rapid transport of blood samples to clinical laboratories and contribute to shorter turnaround times; however, acceleration and deceleration forces generated during transport may affect sample integrity and alter certain analytes. This study aimed to analyze the effects of blood sample transport using a PTS, compared with manual transport, on hematological and biochemical parameters in the clinical laboratory of Hospital de Especialidades Eugenio Espejo, Quito, Ecuador, between July and September 2025. A quantitative analytical study with a repeated-measures design was conducted in 140 patients. Two blood samples were obtained from each participant: one was transported through the PTS and the other manually. Leukocytes, erythrocytes, platelets, hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cell indices, sodium, potassium, chloride, glucose, urea, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were evaluated. Differences were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test, and agreement between transport methods was assessed using Bland-Altman plots. None of the hematological parameters showed statistically significant differences between the two transport methods (p > 0.05). Among the biochemical parameters, significant differences were observed for glucose, LDH, and sodium (p < 0.05); however, variations in glucose and sodium were small and had no impact on clinical interpretation. In contrast, LDH showed greater variations, increased dispersion at higher values, and wide limits of agreement, indicating greater sensitivity of this analyte to transport conditions. It is concluded that PTS transport did not produce clinically significant changes in most of the hematological and biochemical parameters evaluated. LDH was the only analyte showing variations of clinical relevance; therefore, its results should be interpreted with caution when blood samples are transported through a PTS, particularly in emergency care settings.
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