PERBEDAAN KADAR HEMATOKRIT TERHADAP VARIASI RUANG UDARA BEBAS MENGGUNAKAN TABUNG K2EDTA

Background: A clinical laboratory is a healthcare facility that performs examinations of
biological samples to obtain information related to an individual's health condition,
disease diagnosis, therapy monitoring, and disease screening. Laboratory examinations
consist of three phases (pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical). Several pre
analytical factors can cause variations in hematocrit test results, one of which is the
headspace. The headspace needs to be carefully controlled to ensure proper oxygenation
of the sample. The headspace at the top of the tube should be ≥20%."
Objective: To determine the differences in hematocrit levels with variations in free air
space in K2EDTA tubes.
Methods: his research is an analytical observational study with a cross-sectional design.
The study was conducted at the Laboratory of the Center for Public Health Laboratory
(BBLKM) Palembang. The subjects of this study were 37 students aged 18–25 years,
selected using the total sampling method. The hematocrit examination method used was a
cell counter method based on the principle of flow cytometry. The data obtained were
analyzed using the Paired T-test with a 95% confidence level.
Results: The mean hematocrit level in samples with a volume of 2.2 mL was 41.324%,
while the mean hematocrit level in samples with a volume of 3 mL was 41.135%.
Conclusion: There was no significant difference in hematocrit test results between samples
with a volume of 2.2 mL (headspace >20%) and those with a volume of 3 mL (headspace
<20%), with a p-value of 0.051 (p > 0.05).
Suggestion: Hematocrit analysis remains feasible in samples with headspace below 20%;
however, the sample volume should be properly adjusted to match the capacity of the
K2EDTA tube used.