Blood gas analysis: clot-free operation ensures maximum analyser uptime

Since Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust installed five cobas b 123 point-of-care (POC) systems in critical care areas throughout Walsall Manor Hospital in September 2012, POC testing coordinator Sarah Brown has not had to deal with a single blockage due to clots in any of these POC blood gas analysers. This has helped to maximise analyser uptime in areas of the hospital where rapid and reliable results are vitally important for the monitoring and care of critically ill patients.

Special mechanism
The cobas b 123 POC system has a special clot-catching mechanism that detects clots in the sample in three different places within the system and remotely ejects them immediately into waste. “Poor samples would occasionally cause blockages to occur in our previous machines. This would take the analyser out of service while a member of staff removed the blockage. Not only would this cause delays for the department concerned, but it also required valuable staff time,” explains Sarah Brown. “Since the cobas b 123 POC systems were installed, we have not experienced a single blockage due to clots. This has reduced downtime and delays, and prevents the need for laboratory staff to leave the department.”

Easy to use
Performing around 50,000 tests per year, the cobas b 123 POC systems at Walsall Manor Hospital are situated in the high-dependency unit (HDU), intensive therapy unit (ITU), acute medical unit (AMU), theatres and the accident and emergency department. The systems are extremely easy to use and require minimal maintenance, making them ideal for use at the point of care.