DBS Sampling - An Easy Solution for Blood Sample Analysis

DBS Testing
Dried Blood Spot sampling or DBS sampling has been around for more than 50 years. It has been widely used to test the congenital metabolic disease in new-born babies. DBS sampling is done by dabbing a spot of blood from infant’s heel onto the filter paper. But in recent years DBS testing has evolved and have significantly impacted various fields of study comprising new-born screening, infectious diseases, field testing, forensics, toxicology, to name a few.

Advantages of DBS sampling

One spot of blood helps analyse and measure more than 50 analyses. The major advantages of dried blood spot testing is that it does not demand high volume of blood and delivers accurate results with minimum volume requirement. Samples are attained easily from the infant’s heel or an adult’s finger with minimal training; so one can collect the sample at home without calling the Phlebotomist. The process is relatively painless and minimally invasive, unlike venepuncture, which may be difficult in infants and the elderly.

Not only the blood samples can be transported easily, but also they stay stable for months as well as years when kept under refrigeration or at an ambient temperature. In past few years, the dried blood spot sampling has emerged as an effective way for gene screening as well as genetic sample bio-banking for a longer duration of time.

Due to simplified sampling requirements, smaller specimen collection and easy handling, DBS testing has been used for clinical as well as non-clinical purposes such as pharmacokinetic studies and disease surveillance in a number of developing countries. DBS sampling is compatible with the test results performed with fresh blood samples.

Things to Remember While DBS Sampling

DBS Kit
Dried Blood Spot Collection Kit is available online at competitive price and allows collecting the samples right from the comfort of home. While collecting the blood samples, make sure that two drops of blood are dabbed on the filter paper within the circular area and dried in fresh air under protected environment.

It is important to apply the drops of blood carefully while sampling from non- laboratory or remote location. Uneven sample coverage, inappropriate handling of filter paper, can affect the accuracy of results. Other factor that may contribute to imprecise analysis is inadequate sampling or too much blood collection or lengthy time duration between collections of blood drops specimen.

Poor dried blood spot sampling application can lead to uneven sample coverage that can further result in varying haematocrit levels as well as chromatography effects that can cause inexact analytic results.

Principle behind the Dried Spot Testing Application

The principle behind the stability of dried blood spot specimen testing could be the binding of biological elements to the matrix of filter paper and the fact that the drying procedure excludes all the traces of water and locks the moisture.  This is an important factor required for nuclease reaction or protease.

This proven technology is known to expand the analytical services to HIV infected infants in resource restricted areas due to the longer life span of the specimens and reduced handling as well as transportation needs. DBS also pose easy restoration and less biohazard risk to the handling individuals.

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