Cardiac troponin T (cTnT) assessment using incompletely filled K2EDTA blood tubes is reliable

This study aimed to investigate the potential impact of underfilled K 2 EDTA blood tubes on cTnT assay results. We studied 17 subjects. Blood was drawn through phlebotomy using a 10mL syringe and a 21-gauge disposable needle. Empty tubes were premarked at different fill volumes through direct comparison with tubes filled with blood using a calibrated pipette. The samples were centrifuged, and the level of cTnT in the K 2 EDTA plasma was measured using a Roche Cobas E 601 Module following the manufacturer’s instructions. No significant difference in the cTnT levels was observed among the three underfilled samples. Compared with the clinically significant threshold of variation reported as the reference change value, the variation in cTnT values remained well below the acceptable threshold of ±46%. The collection of suboptimal whole blood volumes in K 2 EDTA blood tubes does not affect the results of the cTnT assays in ostensibly healthy individuals. Therefore, samples underfilled by up to 83% may still be acceptable for cTnT testing using the Roche Cobas E 601 module.