Abstract
IntroductionCurrently available recommendations regarding fasting requirements before phlebotomy do not specify any maximum water intake volume permitted during the fasting period. The aim was to study the effects of 300 mL water intake 1 h before phlebotomy on specific analytes.Materials and methodsBlood was collected from 20 women (median age (min-max): 24 (22 - 50) years) in basal state (T0) and 1 h after 300 mL water intake (T1). Glucose, total proteins (TP), urea, creatinine, cystatin C, total bilirubin (BT), total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides (Tg), uric acid (UA), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), aspartate-aminotransferase (AST), alanine-aminotransferase and lactate-dehydrogenase (LD) were studied. Results were analyzed using Wilcoxon test. Mean difference (%) was calculated for each analyte and was further compared with reference change value (RCV). Only mean differences (%) higher than RCV were considered clinically significant.ResultsSignificant differences (median T0 vs median T1, P) were observed for TP (73 vs 74 g/L, 0.001); urea (4.08 vs 4.16 mmol/L, 0.010); BT (12 vs 13 µmol/L, 0.021); total cholesterol (4.9 vs 4.9 mmol/L, 0.042); Tg (1.05 vs 1.06 mmol/L, 0.002); UA (260 vs 270 µmol/L, 0.006); GGT (12 vs 12 U/L, 0.046); AST (22 vs 24 U/L, 0.001); and LD (364 vs 386 U/L, 0.001). Although the differences observed were statistically significant, they were not indicative of clinically significant changes.ConclusionsA water intake of 300 mL 1 h prior to phlebotomy does not interfere with the analytes studied in the present work.
Highlights
Available recommendations regarding fasting requirements before phlebotomy do not specify any maximum water intake volume permitted during the fasting period
A water intake of 300 mL 1 h prior to phlebotomy does not interfere with the analytes studied in the present work
The purpose of the present work is to study the influence of a 300 mL water intake, which is equivalent to a glass of water, during fasting and 1 h before blood collection may have on some routine biochemical tests
Summary
Available recommendations regarding fasting requirements before phlebotomy do not specify any maximum water intake volume permitted during the fasting period. The pre-analytical phase is the most exposed to the risk of making mistakes in the laboratory, the importance of this phase is often underestimated and its impact on results obtained is either unknown or minimized [2] Both the organization and management of the laboratory personnel involved in these procedures are crucial because each stage of the biochemical process is subjected to variability [3]. Several studies have demonstrated that patients go to the laboratory for blood sample collection without adequate preparation This is attributed to the fact that they lack information regarding the pre-analytical requirements for routine blood tests as well as to the absence of harmonization among laboratories [5,6,7,8]. These two factors are indicative of the need for standardized, updated and evidence-based recommendations for patient preparation to minimize patient risks [8]
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