Multicenter Evaluation of a Portable System for Determining Blood Lactate

Abstract

A multiccntcr evaluation including nine Sports medicine Institutes was performed to assess the performance and suitability of the Accusport System. The imprecision study vvith aqueous lactate Solutions gave mean coefficients of Variation of 3.4% (in-series) and 4.8% (day-to-day), respectively. The accuracy was determined by comparison of the Accusport System with Test Combination Lactate for Sports Medicine (TCL): capillary blood (TCL) vs. capillary blood (Ac-cusport BL mode) and capillary plasma (TCL) vs. capillary blood (Accusport PL mode). The regression analysis according to Passing-Bablok gave slopes of 0.994 and 0.949, respectively, and intercepts of significant but negligible size. The hematocrit of the sample had no influence on the measurement result in the rnge tested (35-55%). Bilirubin (up to 0.204 mmol/1), cholesterol (up to 9.05 mmol/1), triglycerides (up to 5.72 mmol/1), and hemolytic samples (hemoglobin up to 0.36 mmol/1) did not cause measurable interference. The sample volume had no effect on the measurement between 15 and 50 . No interference was found with the 16 drugs tested. Accusport proved to be a reliable and exact System for determination of the lactate concentration in capillary blood samples. Since it is battery-powered and portable, it can be used in the field and thus allows immediate on-site control of training.