Quality control of total carbon dioxide (CO) in serum or plasma using the Abbott Architect is affected by environmental pCO concentrations.

Total CO, or bicarbonate, is a parameter in clinical chemistry often applied to assess the metabolic status of a patient. This article discusses the observations and interventions during an episode of assay instability on an Abbott Architect routine chemistry analyser. The Levey-Jennings plot of QC data showed a circadian pattern, having an overestimation of total CO during periods of high personnel attendance.