PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Sarah R. Pigmon
AU  - Kara D. Weatherman
AU  - Nicholas C. Brehl
AU  - Cybil J. Nielsen
TI  - The Necessity of Using Heparin in the UltraTag RBC Kit When Tagging Blood for a Nuclear Medicine Study
AID  - 10.2967/jnmt.116.177535
DP  - 2016 Dec 01
TA  - Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
PG  - 230--233
VI  - 44
IP  - 4
4099  - http://tech.snmjournals.org/content/44/4/230.short
4100  - http://tech.snmjournals.org/content/44/4/230.full
SO  - J. Nucl. Med. Technol.2016 Dec 01; 44
AB  - The purpose of this research was to evaluate the need to use heparin when preparing an UltraTag red blood cell (RBC) kit for a nuclear medicine study. Methods: Nonheparinized blood samples (n = 15) and heparinized blood samples (n = 15) were added to UltraTag RBC kits. The samples were examined for macroscopic blood clotting and microscopic platelet clumping. As a control, samples with heparin (n = 15) and without heparin (n = 15) were used to help evaluate the effectiveness of the anticoagulant properties within the UltraTag RBC kit (sodium citrate) and whether those properties played a role in preventing clots or clumps. To detect clotting, the wooden applicator stick method was used. To detect clumping, blood smears were evaluated using a light microscope. The two samples were compared for presence of clots and clumps. Fisher exact testing was used to evaluate the significance of the data. Results: For the UltraTag RBC group, 2 of the 15 nonheparinized samples clotted and none of the 15 heparinized samples clotted; for the control group, 2 of the 15 nonheparinized samples clotted and none of the 15 heparinized samples clotted. For the Ultra-Tag RBC group, 3 of the 15 nonheparinized samples clumped and 3 of the 15 heparinized samples clumped; for the control group, 15 of the 15 nonheparinized samples clumped and 10 of the 15 heparinized samples clumped. Conclusion: When heparin is not used, the Ultra-Tag RBC kit is more likely to form clots. Heparin should always be used when preparing an Ultra-Tag RBC kit for a nuclear medicine study.