Comparison of venous and capillary blood serological testing
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A study of infectious diseases serological testing in venous compared to capillary blood.
IRAS ID
297073
Contact name
Alison Watt
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 30 days
Research summary
Venous blood is the most common sample type used for measurement of proteins called antibodies and antigens when testing for infectious diseases. Venous blood can prove difficult to collect in certain patient groups in particular those with poor venous access and other patients including those who experience needle phobia and infants who experience stress during blood taking. Capillary blood taking is less invasive and a procedure which patients can undertake while supervised or following instructions. Capillary based testing can alleviate pressure and demand for phlebotomy resources, for example, reducing hospital visits primarily to get a blood sample taken. The current pandemic has seen the growth of virtual clinics, capillary testing will help support these clinics and the management of patients in the community. COVID-19 studies looking at the rates of people who have been infected have used capillary blood kits for self collection of blood for antibody tests. The purpose of this study is to analytically, clinically and logistically evaluate the use of capillary blood for testing for infectious diseases to see if someone is currently infected or has been infected or vaccinated in the past.
REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
23/NI/0050
Date of REC Opinion
2 May 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion