An evaluation of the Abaxis VSPro for the measurement of equine plasma fibrinogen concentrations.

The research seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of the Abaxis VSPro, a benchtop instrument, in accurately measuring plasma fibrinogen concentrations in horses, which is crucial in assessing horses with inflammatory diseases. The accuracy and precision of the instrument were tested using both fresh and frozen equine plasma and compared with two established laboratory methods for fibrinogen measurement: ACL 1000 and STA Compact.

Research Methodology and Equipment

To carry out this research, the paper explains the method and instruments used:

• The study employed two laboratory standard methods (ACL 100 and STA Compact) and a benchtop tool, the VSPro, for measuring plasma fibrinogen concentrations in horses.
• Fifty frozen samples were collected from horses with gastrointestinal diseases. These samples were measured using the ACL 1000 and the VSPro.
• Another fifty fresh samples were gathered from hospitalized horses. In this case, fibrinogen concentration was measured using the STA Compact coagulation machine and the VSPro.
• Human fibrinogen standards were also used to evaluate the accuracy and precision of the VSPro.
• Statistical analyses, including correlations for measurements and Bland-Altman analysis, were performed.

Research Findings

The results of the study indicated the following:

• The coefficients of variability for the VSPro ranged from 7% to 15%, indicating relatively consistent results.
• The fibrinogen values measured by the VSPro correlated well with both the ACL 1000 and the STA Compact measurements.
• The Bland-Altman analysis showed a mean bias of -0.83 g/l for the ACL 1000 and a mean bias of -0.024 g/l for the STA Compact.

Conclusion

From the results, the researchers deduced that:

• The VSPro exhibits satisfactory accuracy and precision for the clinical measurement of plasma fibrinogen concentrations.
• The VSPro provides an equine plasma fibrinogen concentration measurement using a benchtop tool with a quick test time that has comparable accuracy to the fibrinogen concentration obtained from reference laboratories.