Evaluation of two automatic systems for measurement of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate

Our aim was to compare two different automated devices for the measurement of the length of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (LSRB) in order to decrease the amount of blood sample collected. We compared VES-MATIC 60 (DIESSE s.p.a.,Grosseto, Italy) with VES-CUBE 200 (DIESSE s.p.a.,Grosseto, Italy), that requires K2-EDTA and sodium-citrate blood samples, respectively. A total of 160 whole blood samples from patients of the Laboratory Medicine of University Hospital “Tor Vergata” Rome were included in this study; LSRB was determined following ICSH recommendations. Linear regression analysis was used for accuracy study; Reproducibility was assessed using an internal quality control for at least one month (mean = 6.93, SD = 0.775 CV=10.5). Our data showed statistically significant correlation between the two different systems, when the data of VES-CUBE 200 were adjusted to 18°C by Manley’s normogramm. Moreover, both systems presented a good reproducibility and similar CV value. In conclusion, both systems can be used for LSRB determination with the same range of reference; in addition, our previous study showed that LSRB values on plasma-citrate or on K2-EDTA were the same on VES-MATIC 60, therefore the automatic system for LSRB measurement, VES-CUBE 200, shows important advantages on one hand it decreases the amount of whole blood collected being the sample undiluted, on the other hand the test can be performed on the same tube collected for hemochrome analysis, using K2-EDTA as anticoagulant. 1)Caswell M, Stuart J. Assessment of Diesse Ves-matic automated system for measuring erythrocyte sedimentation rate. J Clin Pathol 1992 Feb;45(2):18