Piccolo potassium issues

Hi Jake,
We have this problem as well.  We use the Metlac12 and Metlyte+CRP discs and they both have elevated potassium issues.  We have 2 analyzers that both run high. Went through a lot of QC lot/disc lot juggling to try and get it to work, and then it would be in for a while and then fall back out.  Not much other suggested from Abaxis. Also, when we do comparisons with our Core Lab analyzers, the potassium always runs higher than the allowable difference (0.5mml/L) for both of those Piccolo discs.   Fortunately for us, we only use the Piccolo in our biocontainment unit laboratory, which also uses iSTAT, so we made the decision to suppress the potassium from the Piccolo and have potassium available by iSTAT only.  Probably not that helpful, but just wanted you to know I feel your pain!

Thank you, we use the Piccolo for our biocontainment lab as well. If I continue to see these failures I may transfer potassium to the EPOC that we use for blood gases and lactate. Thanks!

Circling back to this - the biocontainment unit lab at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center has experienced our same issues!!  Their coordinator  has been working with Zoetis, asking them to escalate both potassium and bilirubin QC being out.  Zoetis has not been able to replicate the issue.  She was asked by Zoetis to have anyone experiencing these problems to send the printouts of the failures to Christopher Barney at christopher.barney@zoetis.com.  Jake, I see you are on the email string, but if there is anyone else out there using Piccolo and having elevated potassium and bilirubin QC issues, please forward your failed runs to Christopher.