Development of the dried blood spot preparation protocol for comprehensive evaluation of the hematocrit effect
Cheng et al.
The finding, in our words
The study proposes a dried blood spot preparation protocol that mitigates common pitfalls when evaluating the haematocrit effect, demonstrating that solid-state analytes, pre-preparation spiking, and adequate equilibrium time are critical parameters. Validation using 71 paired clinical DBS and plasma samples showed consistent conversion factors, improving the reliability of therapeutic drug monitoring for antifungal agents in decentralised settings.
A paraphrase to the Library’s standard, never the abstract. The source is one link away and is always the authority.
The study found that dried blood spot sampling showed good agreement with plasma concentrations for vancomycin and creatinine, with most differences within 20%, and patients preferred the finger prick method over venepuncture, supporting its use for decentralised therapeutic drug monitoring.
Hassanzai et al., The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy · source ↗
A validated high-throughput LC-MS/MS assay for piperaquine from dried blood spots achieved 54-72% recovery with <9% relative standard deviation and a quantification limit of 3 ng/mL, enabling detection for 4-8 weeks post-dose. The method showed minimal haematocrit interference and is suitable for therapeutic drug monitoring of antimalarial treatment in resource-limited settings and pediatric populations.
Blessborn et al., Journal of mass spectrometry and advances in the clinical lab · source ↗
This narrative review evaluates microsampling devices for therapeutic drug monitoring, concluding that techniques such as volumetric absorptive microsampling and dried blood spots offer reliable, less invasive alternatives to venous sampling when paired with high-sensitivity mass spectrometry, which supports implementation in routine clinical practice.
Microsampling reduces sample volume, invasiveness, logistics and biohazard risk while improving stability and enabling at-home self-sampling, yet clinical adoption remains slow and requires standardisation and harmonisation to realise its patient-centric and decentralised potential.
Thangavelu et al., Analytical science advances · source ↗
This pilot study validated a microsampling platform for therapeutic drug monitoring of vancomycin, meropenem, and linezolid in critically ill children. Dried blood spots and capillary microsamples correlated strongly (r=0.98), showed acceptable accuracy and precision, and remained stable at room temperature for at least two days (DBS) and eight hours (CMS), enabling personalised antimicrobial dosing in a decentralised setting.
Xiaoyong et al., Frontiers in pediatrics · source ↗