Rapid serum tubes reduce transport hemolysis and false positive rates for high-sensitivity troponin T.

Introduction: Hemolysis in the emergency department (ED) can significantly delay results and appropriate action. We evaluated the main sources of hemolysis during sample collection, and to evaluate the use of rapid serum tubes (RST) as a transport hemolysis-mitigating measure for high-sensitivity troponin T (hs-cTnT) testing.

Methods: We examined the effect of tube type, tube fill, types of sample draw and collection methods on hemolysis and hs-cTnT in samples (n = 158) from ED patients.