[Plasma from heparinate lithium tube with separator gel allows measurement of a large panel of automated biochemical and hormonal parameters].

The preservation of blood capital is essential in many clinical situations. The laboratory, by optimizing the tubes to be sampled, provides valuable assistance in this context. The aim of this work is to study the possibility of analyzing an expanded panel of usual biochemistry and automated hormonal parameters on a single tube: heparin lithium with separator gel. Thirty-two blood samples were analyzed for a usual biochemistry panel (ALT, uric acid, albumin, AST, bicarbonates, total bilirubin, calcium, chloride, creatine kinase, creatinine, iron, GGT, glucose, haptoglobin, LDH, magnesium, PAL, inorganic phosphorus, potassium, total protein, sodium, triglycerides, urea) and a hormonal automated panel (cortisol, hGH, insulin, prolactin, free T3, free T4, TSH, B12 vitamin). For each panel, the sample was taken from the laboratory's classically recommended tube (lithium heparin without separator gel for usual biochemistry and plain without separator gel for automated hormonology) and from the single tube to be tested (heparin lithium with separator gel). The results of the recommended tubes were compared to those of the single tube, statistically and then with regard to the clinical impact. Significant differences were observed between the recommended tube and the single tube for: AST, calcium, chloride, GGT, LDH and phosphorus. Apart from LDH, no parameter revealed a clinically significant difference. Plasma collected on lithium heparin with separator gel is suitable for the determination of a wide range of biochemistry parameters, except for LDH, which should need an adaptation of its usual values with regard to the considered tube.