Hemolysis, lipaemia and icterus in specimens for arterial blood gas analysis

Objective: To assess prevalence of interference from hemolysis, lipaemia, icterus in arterial blood gas analysis (ABC). Design: Serum indices (SI) were assessed in the plasma of ABC samples over a 2-month period. Results: Out of a total of 478 ABG specimens, we identified 17 hemolyzed samples (4%), 52 (11%) with lipaemia, and 63 (13%) with icterus. Conclusion: Test results on a considerable number of ABC specimens might be unreliable due to presence of interference. (C) 2011 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.