Introduction: Haemoglobin (Hb) and packed cell volume (PCV) are tests used in the assessment of anaemia. The Veri-Q haemoglobin meter is a new device in the point-of-care market used for the quantitative measurement of haemoglobin and packed cell volume. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the Veri-Q haemoglobin meter for the assessment of haemoglobin and packed cell volume.

Materials and Methods: Haemoglobin and packed cell volume estimations of one hundred and eleven participants were determined using the Veri-Q Red haemoglobin meter and statistically compared with those obtained from the conventional method (gold standard).

Results: One hundred and eleven undergraduate students participated in this study, of whom 72 (64.9%) were females and 39 (35.1%) were males. The mean haemoglobin values calculated using the Veri-Q haemoglobin meter (11.97 ± 1.95 g/dl) were significantly lower than the values obtained with the conventional method (12.35 ± 1.66 g/dl) (t= 4.7549; p=0.0001). Similar results were obtained with packed cell volume estimation. The performance indices of the Veri-Q haemoglobin meter were as follows: sensitivity (75.41% for Hb and 77.05% for PCV), specificity (28.0% for Hb and PCV), positive predictive value (PPV) (56.1% for Hb and 56.63% for PCV), negative predictive value (48.28% for Hb and 50% for PCV). The prevalence of anemia in this study was 54.05%. Positive Likelihood Ratio (1.05 for Hb and 1.07 for PCV), Negative Likelihood Ratio (0.88 for Hb and 0.82 for PCV), Accuracy (54.05% for Hb and 54.95% for PCV). The Receiver Operative Characteristics (ROC) Area Under Curve (AUC) was 0.996 for Hb and 0.984 for PCV. A significant but weak positive correlation was found to exist between haemoglobin estimations using conventional and Veri-Q methods (r=0.3013, P =0.01); PCV (R=0.2512, P =0.07). The sensitivity of the device can be described as moderate while the specificity is low. The accuracy of the device is just average.

Conclusion: The Veri-Q haemoglobin meter demonstrates an average level of accuracy and a high AUC, making it potentially useful for field epidemiological studies.

 

Veri-Q, performance indices, haemoglobin, packed cell volume, anaemia, point of care

 

1. Cooper C. Blood; A very short introduction. In: Dacie and Lewis Practical Haematology. 11th Edition. Elsevier Churchill Livingstone. 59-82, 2017.
2. Sembulingam K, Sembulingam P. Essentials of Medical Physiology. 6th Ed.New Delhi, India: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) Ltd, 2012.
3. Storz JF. Haemoglobin:Insights into protein structure, function, and evolution. Oxford University Press,2018.
4. Audu IS, UbwaTS, Igbum GO, Hati SS, Alex NI. Analytical comparison between microhematocrit and automated methods for packed cell volume (PCV). International Journal of Haematology and Blood Disorders.2017; 2(1): 1–4.doi: 10.15226/2639-7986/2/1/00105.
5. WHO. Haemoglobin concentrations for the diagnosis of anaemia and assessment of severity. Vitamin and Mineral Nutrition Information System. WHO/NMH/NHD/MNM/11.1. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2011 (http://www.who.int/vmnis/indicators/haemoglobin.pdf).
6. Dacie JV, Lewis SM. Practical haematology. English Language Blood Society, 1977.
7. Geetha N. Estimation of haemoglobin (haemoglobinometry) In: Practical Physiology, JaypeeDigital, India.2017: 35-45.
8. Altman DG, Bland JM. Statistics notes: diagnostic tests 2: predictive values. BMJ. 1994;309(6947):102. doi: doi.org/10.1136/bmj.309.6947.102 .
9. Shill KB, Karmakar P, Kibria MG, Das A, Rahman MA, Hossain MS, et al. Prevalence of iron-deficiency anaemia among university students in Noakhali region, Bangladesh. J Health PopulNutr. 2014;32(1):103-10.
10. Azinge IE, Ogunyemi A, Ogamba CF, Jimoh RO. Prevalence of anemia and associated factors among adults in a select population in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria. J Public Health Afr. 2023 19;14(4):2224. doi: 10.4081/jphia.2023.2224.
11. Amoaning RE, Amoako ES, Kyiire GA, Owusu DD, Bruce H, Simpong DL, et al. Anaemia prevalence more than doubles in an academic year in a cohort of tertiary students: a repeated-measure study in Cape Coast, Ghana. Adv Hematol. 2022 ;2022:4005208. doi: 10.1155/2022/4005208.
12. Abalkhail B, Shawky S. Prevalence of daily breakfast intake, iron deficiency anaemia and awareness of being anaemic among Saudi school students. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2002; 53(6):519–28. doi: 10.1080/09637480220164370.