Hematocrit Determination using a Volumetric Absorptive Microsampling Technique in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer

Abstract

Hematocrit, the volume percentage of erythrocytes in whole blood, is an essential hematological parameter used for identifying various clinical conditions such as anemia and erythrocytosis, and monitoring the clinical effects of a drug therapy in patient care and research. 1) Hematocrit is usually measured from a large volume of venous blood collected by venipuncture that is invasive, and requires a phlebotomist and the visit to healthcare facilities. In circumstances in which venous blood sampling is not favorable or possible, hematocrit needs to be measured using an alternative approach.Volumetric absorptive microsampling (VAMS) approach has been used increasingly in recent studies as an alternative to venipuncture for obtaining blood samples. 2-7) VAMS is a technique that absorbs a small fixed volume of blood from a