Is heparin lithium or heparin sodium used for biochemistry?

 

Heparin is commonly used in blood tests in two categories: sodium heparin and lithium heparin. Due to its weak chelating ability and minimal interference with blood components, heparin appears as a commonly used anticoagulant in various whole blood and plasma sample tests.

Lithium heparin and sodium heparin are mainly used for anticoagulant effects in thromboembolic diseases, myocardial infarction, cardiovascular surgery, and hemodialysis. Due to different ion binding, its dissociation effect is not the same. After clinical verification, the anticoagulation effect of heparin lithium is better than that of heparin sodium.

 

1. Blood gas electrolyte detection

Heparin is the only anticoagulant that can detect pH, blood gas, electrolytes, and calcium ions. The possibility of interference caused by heparin lithium in detecting non lithium ions is more prominent, so it is recommended to use heparin lithium as an anticoagulant. In blood tests, heparin lithium is gradually replacing heparin sodium.

 

2. Special blood sample testing

Blood samples from patients undergoing hemodialysis are a special type of sample that laboratory departments face. During hemodialysis, dialysis patients use anticoagulants containing heparin, and the blood of this special group contains heparin anticoagulant components. After blood extraction, it is not easy to coagulate in a regular tube or separation gel/coagulant tube, and it is also not easy to separate serum. At this point, using heparin lithium as an auxiliary anticoagulant will have a certain effect.

 

3. Routine biochemical testing

The research results indicate that most routine biochemical testing items can use heparin lithium anticoagulant plasma instead of serum, but Glu, K+, Na+, CI -, P3- should establish a plasma reference range, and other items can use a serum reference range to explain the plasma test results; Heparin sodium is used in clinical biochemical assays and can be used for liver and kidney function, blood glucose and lipid tests, etc. Compared with heparin lithium, heparin lithium has more detection items, a wider range, and less interference. Therefore, it is recommended to choose heparin lithium for biochemical testing.

 

Desheng has been involved in the research and development and production of blood collection additives for 17 years. It is a highly experienced manufacturer of blood collection additives. The heparin series is also our flagship product, but it is not injection grade. As an anticoagulant in blood collection additives, also known as in vitro anticoagulants, it has been recommended and purchased by multiple companies. And we can also customize the potency of heparin according to customer needs. For more information, please feel free to contact us by phone.