Age and sex dependent reference intervals for random plasma/serum glucose concentrations related to different sampling devices and determined by an indirect procedure with data mining

The glucose concentration in plasma or serum is one of the most often requested analytical values in laboratory medicine. Whereas the analytical part of the glucose determination is well standardised, the standardisation of the pre-examination part (pre-analytical phase) is not sufficiently solved, yet. In view of the present controversial discussion regarding the most efficient prevention of pre-analytical glycolysis, the question arises whether the economical and logistic expenses for inhibiting glycolysis determining random glucose concentration are justified. In hospitals with adequate logistics (e.g. pneumatic tube systems for blood tubes) to guarantee a blood sample transport time of about 1 – 2 h, plasma or serum without prevention of glycolysis can be applied for random glucose concentrations if the reference limits are estimated by the laboratory. If such logistics are not available, especially in primary care services, either plasma or serum samples or whole blood in special tubes with anti-glycolytic additives may be sent to the laboratory.