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Testing Protocols - Blood and Urine

 

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Bloods & Urine

 

  • Cholesterol – using Cholestech LDX Machine

 

Equipment:

 

  • Cholestech LDX Machine
  • Optics check cassette
  • Cholestech printer
  • LDX Cholestech Machine: complete with mains output and Optics Check
  • Cholestech Testing Cassettes 
  • Capillary Tubes (clear plastic tubes with a red and black mark)
  • Capillary Plungers (black plastic)
  • Lancets
  • Medi-Cloth Gloves
  • Alco wipes
  • Tissues
  • Band Aids
  • Sharps waste bin
  • Clinical waste bag

 

 

 

 

Set Up:

 

The optics-check needs only to be done the first time the machine is connected to the mains or moved to another location.  It is important to do this before your first appointment has arrived.

 

Turn on Cholestech

 

The screen will read:                       

 

            "Testing Memory”

            “Selftest running”

            “Selftest ok”

 

  • Press the RUN button on the machine and the drawer will open
  • This message will appear “Load Cassette and press run ”
  • Place the optics check cassette into the cassette drawer with the brown strip to the right
  • Press the RUN button again and the analyser will automatically perform the Optics Check. The words “Optics Check ” and four numbers will appear on the screen.
  • Check to see that the numbers are within the acceptable range (80-105), which is printed on the Optics Check Cassette.
  • If the numbers are outside the printed range, this message will appear; “Optics Check Fail ”.
  • The Cholestech will be temporarily disabled until another optics check has been run that falls within range. If this happens contact your equipment supplier immediately (see also the trouble shooting section of the Cholestech procedure manual).

 

NB- The Cholestech machine will power down when left idle. To re-activate it press the RUN button on the Cholestech.

 

 

Testing procedure:

 

The most critical part of the blood sample procedure is the drawing of the blood so at this stage it is important you ask them to rub the hands that whilst you glove-up so that the finger is warm and blood circulation is good.

 

TIP. To warm the hand you can ask them to rub their hands together or massage the finger to be pricked whilst you prepare the equipment. Alternatively you yourself can massage the finger from base to tip several times to bring the blood to the surface.

 

If the finger is still not warm you can either wrap it in a warm, wet towel or alternatively run it under warm water for a while.

Remove the cassette from the pouch, holding the cassette by the short sides only. Do not touch the black bar or brown magnetic strip. Place the cassette on the Medi-Cloth ensuring the brown strip is to the right of the cassette and the ‘well’ that the blood is to be placed into is facing up. Remove a capillary and a plunger from the vial, placing the plunger into the end of a capillary Tube marked with a red line. Set aside

 

TIP. As you are doing this procedure it is a good idea to ask how the Subject is feeling and make the client feel at ease. Some people may be anxious about the assessment so be mindful of this. You can ask them general questions like “have you had your cholesterol tested before? Do you remember the result….”.

 

Collecting the Blood Sample:

 

Ask the individual to give to you the finger that they have been warming up and turn the hand over so the palm is facing up. The fingers on the hand should now be warmed up and red/pink in colour showing that blood circulation is good. 

 

A COLD, WHITE FINGER WILL NOT BLEED WELL!!

 

Clean the area to be pricked with an Alco-wipe. Dispose of the wipe in the Clinical waste bag. Dry the area with tissue thoroughly and give to individual to hold in same hand as being tested. Prepare the lancet by ‘cocking’ and removing the protective cover. Massage the individual’s finger from base to tip holding it slightly downwards as to encourage warmth and blood flow Holding the lancet between your index and middle finger with your thumb poised over the button, explain to the individual that you are about to prick the finger. Take the hand to be pricked and aim to prick just left of centre at the top of the finger tip,

 

  1. Whilst pressing the tip of the lancet against the individual’s finger, press the lancet button. Using a tissue wipe away the first drop of blood. Dispose of the lancet in the sharps bin.
  2. With the capillary and plunger in the other hand manipulate the finger by gently squeezing the finger from base to tip to encourage more blood flow. Ensure there is a large drop of blood before holding the capillary tube horizontally and drawing the blood into the tube, avoiding touching the skin with the capillary. This will need to be repeated until the capillary is full of blood. This should take no longer than 30 seconds to draw the required blood sample.

 

TIP. Try and fill the capillary with 2 or 3 drops of blood. Some people are hard to bleed which is why the warming of the finger is so important. If it appears that it is going to be difficult explain this to the subject and ask them to lower their arm or to stand up to aid blood flow.

 

NB. Do not over-squeeze the finger or the sample may contain extra plasma and produce an erroneous result.

 

 

Analysing the Blood Sample

 

Press the RUN button on the Cholestech. The cassette drawer will open, and the screen will display: “Load cassette and Press Run”. Immediately place the cassette into the analyser drawer with the black reaction bar toward the analyser and the brown magnetic strip to the right To begin the test, Press RUN on the machine and the drawer will close. The test run time is 5 minutes and a series of stars appear on the display to show its progress. Before de-gloving place all materials into either the waste bag or Sharp’s bin.

 

 

View the Results

 

When the Cholestech test is finished, the analyser will beep and the drawer will open. Place one glove on your dominant hand and remove the cassette. Place the cassette in the Sharps bin and the glove into the bag. Read the results from the screen and record them immediately on the Fitech results sheet. If you do not happen to see the result on the screen the first time press the DATA button to view the results

 

Once the capillary has been filled to the black line, remove from the side of the finger, asking the individual to cover the area with the tissue to stem the blood flow. Carefully place the end of the capillary tube into the sample well and dispense the sample by pushing down on the plunger. Once the blood has been dispensed place the capillary and plunger into the sharps bin. Keep the cassette level after the sample has been applied.

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