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Assessment of platelet function in whole blood by multiple electrode aggregometry: transport of samples using a pneumatic tube system.

The Journal published an interesting study by Paniccia et al1 regarding the assessment of platelet function in whole blood by multiple electrode aggregometry (MEA) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) receiving antiplatelet therapy. We and other groups have confirmed the applicability of this method2,3 and its predictive value for the occurrence of stent thrombosis.4 

The authors,1 however, do not address the issue of sample transport inside hospitals. Owing to the analysis of whole blood, eliminating the need for sample centrifugation, and the use of an electronic computer-controlled pipette, MEA is applicable in a near-patient setting. In many medical centers, however, laboratory testing is performed in centralized institutes, which provide for 24-hour services and appropriate documentation and quality control.

In modern hospitals, patients’ specimens are delivered using pneumatic tube systems (PTSs) to manage the heavy workload and to reduce turnaround times. Provided that the system is designed for the transport of clinical samples and that specimens have been correctly prepared, this kind of transport has been shown to be safe and without a clinically significant effect on the results.5,6 However, in contrast with many clinical chemical or coagulation analytes, platelets may be activated by excessive shaking or agitation of the sample, which may lead to spurious results. The aim of our study was to test the usability of an in-house pneumatic tube laboratory transport system for measuring platelet function with MEA by comparing it with manual on-foot delivery.

A pair of blood samples from 20 consecutive patients scheduled for coronary angiography was collected into tubes containing …