Effects of syringe type and storage temperature on results of blood gas analysis in arterial blood of horses.

The research article examines the effects of different syringe types and storage temperatures on the results of blood gas analysis in equine arterial blood. The researchers found that the ideal method for collecting and storing arterial equine blood before analysis depends on the specific measures being taken.

Objective and Methodology

• The research aimed to ascertain the effects of storage temperature and syringe type on arterial blood gas analysis in horses, particularly which condition allows for the most reliable results.
• The researchers collected arterial blood samples from horses into three different types of syringe: glass syringes, plastic syringes designed specifically for blood gas collection, and general-purpose plastic syringes.
• The collected samples were then stored under two different temperature conditions: at ambient temperature or in iced water.
• To track changes in the samples over time, key measures: partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2), partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2), and pH were measured at incrementally increasing time points. These were taken a few minutes post-collection, and then after 5, 20, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes.

Key Findings

• The results indicated that when collecting blood for analysis of PaO2, the most reliable method was to use a glass syringe kept in iced water. These samples provided reliable results for up to around 117 minutes post-collection.
• On the other hand, using either type of plastic syringe for collecting blood led to a large variation in results (>10 mm Hg) very quickly after collection – as soon as 10-17 minutes laser – depending on storage conditions.
• The researchers found that plastic syringes stored at ambient temperature were the best choice for sampling intended for PaCO2 analysis as the PaCO2 levels in these samples remained stable for up to around 83 minutes.
• The pH values in the samples did not show significant variation across all three syringe types and both storage conditions for at least the first hour after collection.

Conclusions

• The researchers concluded that blood intended for analysis of PaO2 should be collected in a glass syringe and stored in iced water.
• Conversely, blood collected in plastic syringes should be analysed within 10 minutes of collection regardless of the storage temperature, to ensure the accuracy of PaO2 values.