A method comparison study of a point-of-care blood gas analyser with a laboratory auto-analyser for the determination of potassium concentrations during hyperkalaemia in patients with kidney disease

Abstract

Introduction: Hyperkalaemia is a common electrolyte disorder that may cause life-threatening cardiac arrythmias. We aimed to determine the agreement of potassium concentrations between GEM premier 3500 point-of-care blood gas analyser (POC-BGA) and Roche Cobas 6000 c501 auto-analyser in patients with hyperkalaemia. Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional study of all consecutive adult patients referred to the Renal Unit with a serum potassium concentration ≥ 5.5 mmol/L was performed. A total of 59 paired venous blood samples were included in the final statistical analysis. Passing-Bablok regression and Bland Altman analysis were used to compare the two methods. Results: The median laboratory auto-analyser potassium concentration was 6.1 (5.9-7.1) mmol/L as compared to the POC-BGA potassium concentration of 5.7 (5.5-6.8) mmol/L with a mean difference of-0.43 mmol/L and 95% upper and lower limits of agreement of 0.35 mmol/L and-1.21 mmol/L, respectively. Regression analysis revealed proportional systematic error. Test for linearity did not indicate significant deviation (P = 0.297). Conclusion: Although regression analysis indicated proportional systematic error, on Bland Altman analysis, the mean difference appeared to re-main relatively constant across the potassium range that was evaluated. Therefore, in patients presenting to the emergency department with a clinical suspicion of hyperkalaemia, POC-BGA potassium concentrations may be considered a surrogate for laboratory auto-analyser measurements once clinicians have been cautioned about this difference.