New whole blood methods and instruments: glucose measurement and test menus for critical care.

A glucose oxidase-H 2O 2 substrate-selective electrode (SSE) along with eight other electrodes allows the Stat Profile 5 (SP5) to measure glucose, electrolytes, blood gases, pH, and hematocrit simultaneously in whole blood. For heparinized blood gas syringe samples (n=178), orthogonal (Deming) regression showed y=0.43 + 1.00x (mmol/L), where y is whole blood glucose, and x is plasma glucose measured with the Ektachem 400 glucose oxidase slide method. For heparinized plasma (n=197), y=0.25 + 1.02x. Least squares linear regression showed y=0.25 + 1.00x (s yxx=0.49) for whole blood versus plasma, y = 0.30 + 1.01x (s yxx=0.49) for plasma versus plasma, and r=0.994 for both cases. Whole blood and plasma glucose in the same samples measured by SSE differed by less than 1%. The SP5 combines the largest number of whole blood tests currently available in a rapid response instrument well-suited for care of the critically ill patient.