| pubmed-article:3533412 | pubmed:abstractText | The calculation of results from a Plasma Renin Activity (PRA) assay requires many intermediate steps that are both tedious and prone to error. Using Lotus 1-2-3C and the IBM PCT, these assay calculations can be reduced to simply entering the raw counts obtained from the gamma counter. This calculation method is for use with Clinical Assay's Gamma-CoatT PRA kit, one of the most widely used commercial kits. A template that utilizes a logarithmic curve fit equation to calculate a point to point standard curve for the assay is set up on the Lotus spreadsheet. By using a point to point curve fit, a standard curve that is a very close approximation to a manually drawn plot is generated by the computer. Using Lotus's macro feature, a routine is built into the template to automatically move the cursor from cell to cell for the entry of the raw counts. All data can be entered using only the numeric key pad and RETURN key. When all data has been entered, the macro calculates the assay results and prints out a hardcopy report. In 52 samples, comparing the PRA results obtained from the manually plotted standard curve and those calculated by the template yielded a coefficient of correlation of 0.997, p less than 0.001. We conclude that the computer generated results are comparable to results obtained from a manually drawn curve. All calculations can be quickly obtained simply by entering the raw counts from the gamma counter using this application of Lotus 1-2-3C with the Clinical Assay's GammaCoatT PRA kit. | lld:pubmed |
