Evaluation of perimeter accretion of red blood cells (RBCs) in dried bloodspots when using non-cellulosic dried matrix spotting cards
Abstract
Interpatient variation in hematocrit (HCT) can affect accuracy of quantitation for some analytes when using dried bloodspots (DB) as a sample type. When using standard filter paper (FP) for collection of bloodspots, there is a significant accretion of red blood cells (RBCs) at the perimeter of the spot. This phenomenon in turn influences HCT of center DB punches compared to that of whole blood.
Dried matrix (DM) spotting cards (Bond-Elut, Agilent) are an alternative, non-cellulosic medium for DB. Perimeter accretion of RBCs in DB from DM has not been studied, however.
Our objective was to determine whether and to what extent perimeter accretion of RBCs occurs in DM samples.