Electrolytes Levels (Na, K, Cl) in Serum Stored at 4°C Temperature

The samples used for serum electrolyte measurement should be analyzed immediately after being received in the laboratory within 1-2 hours to avoid an increase in the error of the results. Serum should be stored at 4°C for a period to prevent damage. The analyst should consider maximum delay time in the examination to maintain the serum's quality. This study compared the 2-hour and 3-hour delays in sodium (Na), potassium (K), and chlorine (Cl) tests. The method used in this study is an observational analysis with a cross-sectional study design. The samples in this study used 35 patient serum residues. The study was conducted in November 2020 with a continuous sampling technique. Electrolyte levels in the sample were measured by AVL 9180 Electrolyte Analyzer using Ion-Selective Electrode (ISE) method. The differences in electrolyte (Na, K, Cl) levels were analyzed by the Kruskal-Wallis Statistical test at a 95% confidence level. The results showed that the content of sodium, potassium, and chlorine were 0.719; 0.976; and 0.772. This study showed that there was no significant difference in the electrolyte content of sodium (Na), potassium (K), and chlorine (Cl) in the serum directly detected from the serum stored at 4°C for 2 hours and 3 hours. In conclusion, it is acceptable to postpone the serum test for 3 hours with various considerations.

The prevalence and genetic diversity of hepatitis C infection in antenatal clinic attenders in two regions of England

The prevalence and genetic diversity of hepatitis C infection in women attending antenatal clinics in two regions of England was investigated to inform future surveillance and control measures. Women booking into antenatal care are routinely offered a test for immunity to rubella. Serum residues from these tests were unlinked, anonymized and archived as part of the Unlinked Anonymous Prevalence Monitoring Programme (UAPMP). The serum specimens were tested for anti-HCV using a cost-effective pooling strategy. After taking into account differential sampling from the UAPMP serum archive, the adjusted overall prevalence of anti-HCV was 0·43% (95% CI: 0·32–0·53) in London and 0·21% (95% CI: 0·14–0·28) in the Northern and Yorkshire region. Restriction fragment length polymorphism of amplified HCV RNA identified type 3a as the most common HCV genotype in these antenatal women. The prevalence of anti-HCV in antenatal women in the UK is low and consistent with that expected from injecting drug use.