| Analytical equivalence between manual and automated methods for four common biochemical parameters |
| Paper ID : 1313-IGA |
| Authors |
|
Lamia Lablack * Higher School of Biological Sciences of Oran (HSBSO). Algeria Environmental Surveillance Network Laboratory (LRSE). |
| Abstract |
| Background and Aim: Manual methods using spectrophotometers are still relevant alternatives to automated analyzers in clinical labs, especially where resources are limited or equipment is unavailable. Automation ensures high throughput and reduces operator variability, but manual approaches remain important. This study evaluates the analytical agreement between manual (spectrophotometric) and automated methods for measuring urea, creatinine, total cholesterol, and triglycerides, aiming to confirm if both can be used interchangeably without accuracy loss. Materials and Methods: A retrospective comparative study was performed at CRAMER laboratory over 45 days with 113 patient samples covering diverse clinical conditions. Each sample underwent duplicate testing using both manual spectrophotometric and automated clinical chemistry analyzers under routine settings. The parameters analyzed were urea, creatinine, cholesterol, and triglycerides. Data were processed with descriptive statistics and paired tests for mean differences and concordance assessment, with significance set at p ≤ 0.05. Results: The study population had a mean age of 56.4 ± 15.1 years, with a majority of participants aged between 40 and 80 years. Females represented 67% of the cohort, reflecting the laboratory’s patient demographics. No statistically significant differences were observed between the two methods for any of the four parameters (P ≤ 0,05). The high degree of concordance suggests that both methods produce analytically equivalent results under the tested conditions. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that manual and automated methods yield comparable results for the measurement of urea, creatinine, cholesterol, and triglycerides. The findings support the reliability of manual techniques as a valid alternative when automated systems are unavailable or impractical. This equivalence enhances operational flexibility in clinical laboratories, particularly in contexts involving equipment maintenance, budget constraints, or temporary workload increases. These results may inform method validation protocols and quality assurance practices in medical biology laboratories. |
| Keywords |
| Automate, Cholesterol, Creatinine, Spectrophotometer, Triglycerides, Urea |
| Status: Accepted |
