Quality assessment of two lactate test strip methods suitable for obstetric use

Abstract

Accuracy of lactate determinations in cord blood was tested for one reflectometric (Accusport®) and one amperometric (Lactate Pro®) microvolume test strip lactate meter. Both meters, using a whole blood sample, measure lower levels of lactate than a reflectometric device considered as a reference method, which analyses lactate in plasma. Readings were unaffected irrespective of lactate concentrations for the Lactate Pro®, whilst the Accusport® overestimated low lactate concentrations and underestimated high values. Both lactate meters underestimated lactate concentrations at high hematocrits, as compared with the reference method. The Lactate Pro® has a fixed sample volume of 5 μl while the Accusport® uses random blood drop as sample volume. However, in analyses with less than 20 μl sample volume considerable underestimation was found with the Accusport®. Coefficient of variation was 3.8-8.9% for the Accusport® and 3.1-4.0% for the Lactate Pro® within lactate concentrations between 2.1 and 5.3 mmol/l. The amperometric device, the Lactate Pro® performed best in these tests dealing with fetal blood lactate concentrations. The new technique can be a useful tool in perinatal research as well as in obstetric practice.