Comparison of Haemoglobin Assessment by Hemocue and Two Automated Haematology Analysers in Young Laotian Children

This study compared the accuracy of HemoCue Hb301 versus XT-1800i, Mindray BC-3000Plus, or both automated analyzers combined. Researchers collected capillary and venous blood from Laotian children ages 6-23 months to compare hemoglobin measurement across methods. Authors concluded that HemoCue showed bias toward high hemoglobin concentration compared to the automated analyzers, meaning use of HemoCue resulted in a significantly lower prevalence of anemia. Because HemoCue is commonly used in field settings, further research is needed to better train phlebotomists and implement appropriate standardized practices to ensure accurate hemoglobin assessment.