Obtaining arterial blood gas values from venous blood samples
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Determining the accuracy of venous to arterial conversion (v-TAC) software in extrapolating arterial blood gas values from a venous sample
IRAS ID
225034
Contact name
Lisa Vincent-Smith
Sponsor organisation
Medway NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 22 days
Research summary
Arterial blood gas (ABG) samples are a staple in monitoring acutely unwell patients from multiple pathologies. On many occasions multiple arterial samples are required to review the efficacy of a treatment regime on the patient. Unfortunately the use of this technique is painful and patients are understandably apprehensive when faced with the prospect of multiple arterial punctures.
OBI medical have developed a mathematical algorithm in their v-TAC software, which allows an extrapolation of an arterial blood gas sample from a venous blood sample. This would ensure that patients would avoid multiple painful arterial punctures, as a v-TAC sample could be taken with routine daily bloods or with cannulation.
The verification process is to ascertain if using the validated and CE marked v-TAC software product with our CE marked Werfen GEM4000 blood gas analyser gives a similar accuracy to the arterial results analysed on the same analyser. The v-TAC software has already been used in clinical practice in other settings with success.
The method is to parallel test paired arterial blood and venous blood gas results in 40 patients undergoing an ABG with their consent. Potentially the patient may have an additional venepuncture; however, this would be negated if both samples are already required.The research team will compare all samples and work with OBI medical to confirm that accuracy is within safe and reasonable limits when compared with the arterial sample. The results of the study will help determine the subset of patients who would benefit from v-TAC sampling and also in which patients to avoid using it on. Should the software be verified, after staff education, v-TAC sampling would be incorporated in to our practice and would avoid painful arterial samples in the future.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/EE/0245
Date of REC Opinion
8 Jun 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion