Comparison of capillary finger stick and venous blood sampling for 34 routine chemistry analytes: potential for in hospital and remote blood sampling

What is it about?

Objectives: To enable routine laboratory testing being part of remote healthcare solutions, this study examined if measurement of routine laboratory tests from blood drawn via finger stick is just as reliable as measuring these tests form blood regularly drawn by venipuncture. In addition, venipuncture can be perceived as burdensome for children, patients with fear of needles or people with poor venous access. Capillary sampling may facilitate blood draw by finger stick in the hospital overcoming these problems. Methods: Paired venous and capillary blood samples were collected from adult patients to assess 34 routine laboratory tests such as creatinine, total cholesterol and glucose. All measurements were performed in the central hospital laboratory with analyzers used for standard care. The results of capillary finger stick blood sampling where compared to the results of venous blood and contrasted to the total Allowable error (TEa) criteria published by the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry (EFLM) and to Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) 2024 proposed acceptance limits for proficiency testing. Results: Capillary and venous samples showed comparable results for almost all studied chemistry analytes. Of the 33 studied analytes for which TEa criteria where available, 30 met TEa criteria. CLIA 2024 criteria where available for 29 of the studied analytes of which only glucose did not meet the criteria. Conclusions: In conclusion, capillary blood draw is a suitable alternative for venous blood sampling for measuring most of the investigated analytes. This benefits patients with fear of needles and might pave the way for remote self-sampling.

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