Multicenter Study on the Analytic Performance of a New Point-of-Care Blood Gas Analyzer and Its Use in Critical Care Testing

The objective of this study was to evaluate the analytic performance characteristics of and user satisfaction with the new Roche OMNI S critical care analyzer in a clinical setting. Fourteen sites were included in this multicenter study, and each site performed from 100 to 300 measurements on the Roche OMNI S instrument. In method comparison experiments, all results with Roche OMNI S were in good agreement with the routine laboratory or other point-of-care methods. Correlation coefficients were above 0.94 for most parameters and above 0.98 for PO₂PCO₂and pH. Day-to-day imprecision using fresh blood samples showed good results, means of cv_iwere equal or below 0.7% for electrolytes, pH, and SO₂; and were between 0.8% and 3% for the other parameters. In tonometry experiments, the recovery of the calculated PO₂value was within ±2% and within ±3% for PCO₂. The authors found a high degree of user satisfaction. Sample application/measurement, ease of use, routine maintenance, and quality control were highlighted by the users. Overall, the Roche OMNI S critical care analyzer showed a convincing analytic performance in imprecision testing, tonometry, and method comparison experiments. Thus, its use in critical care or point-of-care testing is recommended. The availability of total bilirubin determination with short turnaround time and very low sample volume may be beneficial to improve patient care in neonatology.