Waltham, MA - Nova Biomedical announces the addition of another important critical care parameter to its Stat Profile Prime Plus blood gas analyzer—the ability to rapidly calculate and report mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). MCHC is a measure of the hemoglobin concentration in a given volume of packed red blood cells. MCHC, along with measured hemoglobin and hematocrit, provides insight into the severity and cause of certain anemias. No other critical care blood gas analyzer has this unique capability.

Low MCHC, associated with hypochromic anemias, can indicate internal bleeding, anemia of chronic disease, chronic low grade blood loss, iron deficiency, and thalassemia. High MCHC is associated with autoimmune hemolytic anemia, macrocytic anemia, severe burns, vitamin B12 and folate deficiency, chemotherapies, and hereditary spherocytosis.

MCHC requires both measured hemoglobin and measured hematocrit which Stat Profile Prime Plus provides. With the addition of MCHC, Prime Plus now offers up to 24 critical care whole blood tests including blood gases, electrolytes, metabolites, and CO-oximetry. This comprehensive test menu helps clinicians rapidly assess acid/base balance, electrolyte balance, glycemic control, kidney function, oxygen carrying capacity of blood, tissue hypoxia, intravascular plasma volume, and anemia in one minute from two drops of whole blood. Prime Plus patient results are automatically captured in the hospital information system through NovaNet software, which is currently used by two thirds of U.S. hospitals to capture Nova’s StatStrip Glucose, StatStrip Lactate, and StatSensor Creatinine point-of-care test results.