STABILITY OF SERUM GLUCOSE ON BARRIER GEL COMPARED WITH PLAIN TUBES POST CENTRIFUGATION DURING 24 AND 48HOURS OF STORAGE AT 2-8 °C
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47701/etyhak85Keywords:
Blood Glucose, Glycolysis, Pre-analytical Phase, Serum Separator Tube, Specimen HandlingAbstract
Pre-analytical errors represent the primary source of variation in clinical laboratory testing, frequently caused by delayed specimen processing post-centrifugation. Prolonged contact between serum and the erythrocyte clot accelerates in vitro glycolysis, falsely reducing glucose concentrations. This study aimed to determine the stability of serum glucose stored on top of a barrier gel in Serum Separator Tubes compared to non-gel plain tubes after 24 and 48 hours of refrigerated storage at 2–8 °C. A repeated-measures experimental design was conducted using venous blood specimens from 33 healthy volunteers. Blood samples collected into both tube types were centrifuged simultaneously and analyzed immediately, as well as after 24 and 48 hours using the enzymatic glucose oxidase method. Statistical analysis revealed a significant interaction between tube type and storage duration (p < 0.001). Serum glucose in Serum Separator Tubes decreased marginally by 0.69% at 24 hours and 1.48% at 48 hours, remaining within acceptable clinical limits. Conversely, glucose in plain tubes decreased by 9.97% at 24 hours and 18.84% at 48 hours, exceeding clinical tolerance thresholds. In conclusion, Serum Separator Tubes preserve serum glucose stability for up to 48 hours without requiring manual aliquoting, whereas non-gel tubes cause substantial time-dependent analytical bias.
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