EKF Diagnostics Publishes “Anemia and Hemoglobin Testing” Guide

EKF Diagnostics, the global in vitro diagnostics company, announces the publication of its new guide, “Anemia and hemoglobin testing” [1]. Available to download for free from ekfdiagnostics.com, the in-depth hematology guide provides a review of the symptoms and causes of anemia, through to methods for testing hemoglobin and hematocrit, as well as factors that may influence these measurements.

Anemia is the most common blood disorder, affecting around 25% of the global population, and can be caused by poor nutrition or various diseases. It is a condition where the number of red blood cells or the availability of hemoglobin falls below the body’s physiological needs. Consequently, hemoglobin and hematocrit are the main blood tests used to diagnose anemia. In addition, pre-donation hemoglobin testing is an integral part of blood donor health assessment in many countries.

Since anemia reduces an individuals’ wellbeing, physical productivity and work performance, timely treatment can restore personal health and raise national productivity levels by as much as 20% in developing countries, as observed by WHO [2]. Notably, Anemia also contributes to 20% of all maternal deaths [2], meaning that many countries conduct interventions during pregnancy to reduce anemia and its adverse effects.

Hemoglobin and hematocrit can be measured by a variety of methodologies. In particular, point-of-care (POC) testing in hematology has continued to grow in popularity; with hemoglobin measurement now the most commonly used parameter in POC hematology [3].

“As specialists in this area of POC testing, we have published this guide to share our knowledge and demonstrate our commitment to making blood donation and anemia screening easier, more affordable and more accessible than ever before,” said Katja Lemburg, EKF Diagnostics’ Global Product Manager for Hematology. “Our diagnostic analyzers and tests deliver fast and reliable results for hemoglobin and hematocrit that provide both practitioner and patient with the information they need to make clinical or lifestyle decisions in seconds.”

EKF’s range of hemoglobin analyzers includes Hemo Control, which uses the ‘gold standard’ azide methemoglobin method to deliver results from 25 seconds, and DiaSpect Tm, which uses a reagentless cuvette to provide results in just about one second. Its specialist hematocrit analyzer is the UltraCrit Plus which, uniquely, uses ultrasound to measure hematocrit with a high degree of accuracy within 30 seconds. HemataSTAT II is a microhematocrit centrifuge that provides quantitative readings for multiple samples that is perfect for laboratories or even veterinary use.

References:

http://workshop.fluidbook.com/viewer/14091_4ce791664036d9927a1d9ba44bc7a5af_1450197526/

http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/ida/en/ Access date: 24/07/2015

Where are we at with point-of-care testing in haematology? Briggs C et al., British Journal of Haematology, 2012, 158, 679-690.