Cirrhosis of the liver is associated with increased respiration (hyperventilation) and consequent hypocapnic respiratory alkalosis. The severity of this acid-base disturbance correlates with severity of cirrhosis as well as severity of the abnormal hyperdynamic systemic circulation that characterizes this irreversible ...

Health demands that the pH of blood is maintained within a narrow range (7.35-7.45). Monitoring this physiological imperative and detection of so-called acid-base disturbance, in which blood pH is either increased or decreased, is one of the principal clinical utilities of blood gas analysis.  Metabolic acidosis – one ...

Blood gas analyzers often have an incorporated CO-oximeter that allows accurate determination of carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) and methemoglobin (MetHb) from the arterial blood sample submitted for routine blood gas analysis. For patients with suspected acute pulmonary embolism (PE), arterial blood gas analysis is often...

Clinical sensitivity, clinical specificity and predictive values are frequently used as performance measure for a biochemistry assay. When D-dimer assay performance is presented, emphasis is often on the negative predictive value (NPV). However, predictive values are greatly influenced by the prevalence of the...

With the ultimate goal of improving patient care, adoption of point-of-care testing (POCT) continues to grow at a high rate. The ability to deliver fast and reliable results near the patient is a key driver for improving patient outcomes and optimizing clinical workflow. While there are many advantages, controlling...

Arterial blood gas analysis provides the means for assessment of two related physiological functions that are disturbed in a wide range of medical conditions.  The first is the facility of the lungs to simultaneously add inspired oxygen to blood and remove carbon dioxide from blood, prior to excretion in expired air...

Lactic acidosis, the most common kind of metabolic acidosis, is characterized by reduced blood pH (usually <7.25) in association with marked increase in blood lactate (usually >5.0 mmol/L). Lactic acidosis has many possible causes but two broad etiological classes have been defined: type A (hypoxic) lactic acidosis and ...

http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2014/10/16/09031936.00039214.full.pdf+html. Accessed Oct 2014. Arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis is clinically useful because it allows assessment of two vital interrelated physiological functions: pulmonary gas exchange and maintenance of blood pH (acid-base homeostasis)....

D-dimer testing can combined with assessment of pretest probability be used to rule out VTE in patients with a sufficiently low pretest probability of VTE. Patients with a negative D-dimer result can be ruled out, while patients with a positive D-dimer result need to have imaging performed for confirmatory diagnosis. ...

This short review aims to put the diagnostic options provided by state-of-the-art POCT  technology into perspective with the clinical challenges faced by physicians treating patients presenting with acute dyspnea.  Natriuretic peptides, hemoglobin, D-dimers and venous blood gases play a key role in the early...