[Evaluation of the portable blood analyser i-STAT].

This research article discusses a comparative study examining the effectiveness of a portable blood analyser system, i-STAT SDI, against traditional laboratory equipment. It confirms that this tool provides fast and accurate readings, especially in emergency situations for critically ill horses.

Objective And Methodology

The main purpose of this research was to evaluate how well a portable blood analysis system, i-STAT SDI, performed when compared to usual laboratory apparatus. The assessment was conducted through a series of tests on horse blood samples. It focused on several significant parameters such as:

• Blood gases
• pH
• Glucose
• Urea
• Hemoglobin
• Hematocrit
• Sodium
• Potassium
• Chloride

Outcomes

The outcomes were quite promising:

• The study found high precision within runs, with variation coefficients ranging between 0 to 3.85%. This suggests that the i-STAT system was consistent in its results.
• A comparison of patient samples analyzed using the i-STAT system and routine laboratory methods showed a strong positive correlation (above 0.96) for the above-mentioned parameters. This suggests that the portable instrument produced results which were very similar to those provided by standard laboratory tests.
• The only exception in these results was for chloride, where the correlation was slightly lower at 0.867, indicating that the portable test may be slightly less accurate for this particular element.

Implications

The research confirms the utility and precision of the i-STAT SDI system in providing quick and accurate blood analyses and laboratory data. This makes it particularly useful in emergency situations where horses may be critically ill and where speed of diagnosis can be crucial. Considering the portability of the device, it can also assist in field diagnoses where accessibility to routine laboratory equipment may be a challenge. Consequently, the i-STAT system could be a valuable tool in veterinary medicine due to its precision, rapid results and portability.