Journal of Clinical and Experimental Investigations

Abstract

Objective: Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) can be used for the follow-up of number of diseases. In recent years, closed automated systems that measure ESR directly from a capped EDTA and citrate blood sample tube have been developed. In this study, we aimed to compare and evaluate the consistence of assay results of iSed Alcor Auto-instrument and Berkhun SDM60 Auto-instrument.
Methods: K2EDTA and citrated blood samples were taken from 149 randomly selected outpatients. The ESR of blood samples in tubes containing K2EDTA was determined by iSed Alcor Auto-instrument whereas Berkhun SDM60 Auto-instrument was used to determine the ESR of blood samples in tubes containing citrate.
Results: The mean ± SD ESR was 24.48 ± 23.10 mm/hr (95% CI for the mean was 20.54–28.02 mm/hr) for iSed Alcor Auto-instrument and 23.94 ± 17.24 mm/hr (95% CI for the mean was 21.15–26.73 mm/hr) for the Berkhun Auto-instrument. We found the mean difference between two methods as 0.336 mm/hr (95% CI for the mean was −2.06 to 1.39 mm/hr; P = 0.701). The obtained correlation coefficient was 0.90 (P = 0.0001). There was no evidence of systemic bias, equal to 0.3 mm/hr (limits of agreement, –20.6 to 21.2 mm/hr).
Conclusion: iSed Alcor Auto-instrument and Berkhun SDM60 Auto-instrument might be used as alternative systems each other. However, it should be monitored carefully in especially high ESR (>50 mm/hr) results and the results should be checked according to the Westergren method.