A Systematic Review of the Impact of Pneumatic Tube System Transport on Blood Chemistry and Hematology Parameters

Abstract

Introduction: Today, many hospitals use a Pneumatic Tube System (PTS) to quickly convey specimens to the lab. This study examined the clinical and practical impacts of PTS in delivering specimens. Blood chemistry and hematologic parameters were compared between PTS and manual transfer to determine whether there was a significant increase or decrease in its values. The study evaluated the following Blood Chemistry parameters such as LDH, K, AST, ALP, ALT, and Total Bilirubin and Hematologic parameters such as Red Cell indices (MCV, MHC, and MCHC), RBC count, Hemoglobin and Hematocrit, Hemolysis rate, and Platelet count. The data are gathered to evaluate if PTS provides the same specimen integrity as the manual technique. In this project, the researchers will conduct a systematic review utilizing the PRISMA 2020 reporting checklist. Methodology: Studies obtained from online databases were utilized. A set of criteria for selecting prospective studies were established. The studies should be published from 2017 to October 2022, must assess the effects of PTS by comparing them to manually transported samples, and must be fully accessible. Subgroup analysis and cumulative analysis were conducted to establish transparency of the results. Findings and Discussion: A total of 27 studies were evaluated. Among these, 13 of the studies included are for blood chemistry and 15 studies are for hematology. Among all the parameters evaluated, only LDH, potassium, and Hemolysis index showed clinical significance between the samples transported via PTS and manually delivered. The other chemistry parameters were also increased but were not clinically significant. Whereas, Hematologic parameters have only limited studies available that can show that it is of clinical significance. However, most included studies utilized a small sample size and limited population, restricting further analysis of obtained results. Additionally, some were hindered due to insufficient data and information. Moreover, the technical aspects that can cause the results to differ are not provided because the PTS utilized to modify acceleration and deceleration, are not sufficiently described. Some research claimed that their study was restricted to PTS effects alone.