Intensive Care Unit Highlights Clot Protection Benefits Of New Blood Gas Testing System

 Roche cobas b 123 POC system evaluated at Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport, UK

The excellent clot protection capabilities of the Roche cobas b 123 POC system have been highlighted in an evaluation undertaken in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Stepping Hill Hospital (Stockport NHS Foundation Trust). 

Clotting of samples is always a concern in POC testing systems, particularly in neonates for whom blood gases are the most common test performed, and can lead to delayed results/treatment, inconvenient analyser downtime and increased stress/work for hospital staff.

175 patient samples were analysed throughout the evaluation, including approximately 30 samples that were considered ‘high risk’ for clotting.  The tests were performed by nursing staff and quality control testing was performed automatically by AutoQC twice per day.

“We never had a problem with clots throughout the entire evaluation, despite using a wide variety of samples of varying condition and age,” said Samantha Ekin, Point of Care Co-ordinator at the Trust. “I can see that this will be vital in a delivery suite setting where the quality of samples can be lower.  The small size of the analyser is great as it can be housed more easily and it is portable, if required.”

The cobas b 123 is specifically designed to eliminate the risk of clot blockages so that: a) unnecessary disruption to routine and patient care can be prevented; and b) time and resources are not wasted. 

The analyser’s new clot clearance feature stops clots present in a sample moving from the syringe or capillary into the analyser.  It does this using a dual-action pre-analytical barrier, with bottlenecks in the sample port needle and the co-oximetry measuring chamber, and any clots collected are simply rinsed away with the sample by the automated default washing routine. In-built optical sensors detect whether the lack of fluid path flow is due to a clot. If it is, the analyser performs a series of automated expulsion steps to remove the clot before continuing analysis uninterrupted.

To date, in both internal and external on-going evaluations, no downtime owing to clots has been reported for the cobas b 123.   The system is also very easy to use and requires very little maintenance.

“The whole process of analysing a patient sample was very easy for the operator with minimal steps and easy on screen prompts,” Samantha Ekin continues. “This is very important, because if the nurses like the analyser, they will have confidence to use it and confidence in the results.  The low maintenance is also extremely important, especially for ‘out of hours’ work, as it enables the operators to perform any maintenance that might be required.”

“As operation is very easy, it also makes training very simple,” she continues.  “This reduces the time required for training, which will hopefully make it more accessible to a larger number of staff.”

To find out more about how the new cobas b 123 POC System can meet your point of care testing requirements for blood gases and critical care parameters, please telephone 01444 256000 or visit the Roche website at www.roche.co.uk.

Stockport NHS Foundation Trust
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust serves a population of approximately 350,000, predominantly across Stockport and the High Peak area of Derbyshire.  The Trust employs over 3,600 staff across four sites.  Its main hospital site is Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport, with additional services provided at Cherry Tree Hospital and The Meadows in Stockport and the Corbar Maternity Unit based 18 miles away in Buxton.

cobas b 123 POC System
The new blood gas analyser from Roche, the cobas b 123 POC System, is designed to be easy to use and virtually maintenance free, making it ideal for use in critical care units, emergency rooms and other POC settings.  It consolidates a number of important critical care test parameters on one system, including blood gases, haematocrit, bilirubin, electrolytes, glucose and lactate, allowing medical professionals to obtain rapid answers to a broad range of medical questions.

The system is extremely easy to use, with touch screen operation to guide the user through operational processes step by step.  The large, colour display screen presents unambiguous results, with measurements that fall outside pre-defined acceptable limits highlighted clearly.

The only manual maintenance step required for the cobas b 123 is the replacement of consumables.  Its highly durable electronics and mechanics make it robust and reliable, ensuring minimal downtime. 

Smart chips on the consumables (sensors, fluid packs and QC packs) eliminate the need for scanning barcodes and facilitate inventory management.  Inventory status is displayed clearly on the screen and step by step prompts guide the user through the changing of consumables with ease. Everything is front loaded, which reduces the footprint of the analyzer for environments where space might be limited.

The cobas b 123 has many infection control and safety features that make it ideal for use throughout the hospital.  There are no exposed needles and the protected sample input area remains closed during operation and between samples.  Infection control is further enhanced by the collection of waste in a sealed pack within the closed system.  Password authorization ensures safe and appropriate use by locking the instrument to unauthorized/untrained users.