Reliability of spot-check transcutaneous hemoglobin measurement in children.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the correlation between spot-check transcutaneous hemoglobin (Hb) and simultaneously measured venous Hb in children.

METHODS: Two hundred and seventeen children weighing 10-30 kg in whom complete blood count had been obtained for any reason were enrolled in this study. Demographic characteristics and vital signs were recorded. Prior to taking blood samples, transcutaneous Hb, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and perfusion index were measured using a probe connected to the subject's thumb. To determine the reliability of the transcutaneous measurement versus venous blood measurement performed via an autoanalyzer device, interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated. The correlation between the two measurements was evaluated on Bland-Altman analysis.

RESULTS: A total of 59.4% of the patients were boys. The average age was 53 months (range, 6-132 months). Average bodyweight was 16 kg (range, 10-25 kg). Mean venous Hb, hematocrit, and transcutaneous Hb were 11.94 ± 1.15 g/dL, 35.8 ± 3.2%, and 12.42 ± 1.24 g/dL, respectively. The ICC for the reliability of the transcutaneous measurements versus venous blood measurements was r = 0.67 (95%CI: 0.5776-0.7526). The correlation between the two sets of measurements was good, as evaluated by the Bland-Altman analysis.

CONCLUSION: There is good correlation between transcutaneous and venous blood measurements of Hb. In the future, transcutaneous measurement, as a non-invasive method, may be an alternative for the measurement of Hb in childhood.