Printed from acutecaretesting.org
Articles and journal scans about Point-of-care testing
Article
January 2005
Tips for developing training materials with the help of vendors
Is it a good idea to rely on vendors to help develop
training materials for point-of-care testing staff? According to
the lab group responsible for point-of-care (POC) testing at the
Malmö University Hospital in Sweden, vendor cooperation can help
you achieve a better result, faster.
However, the better prepared
you ...
Point-of-care testing
Quality assurance
Article
January 2005
Twelve keys to effective competency programs
What does it take to ensure an effective competency
program? Acutecaretesting.org asked three point-of-care coordinators (POCC)
with solid programs what makes their competencies work. Their input
resulted in a list of 12 key recommendations.
Process optimization
Point-of-care testing
Quality assurance
Article
September 2004
Diabetic ketoacidosis
Disturbance of the mechanisms which maintain normal
blood pH is a defining feature of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA),
an acute and life-threatening complication of the chronic
metabolic disease, diabetes.
For this reason diagnosis and
monitoring of DKA invariably include measurement of arterial
blood gases. This...
Electrolytes
Blood gases/acid-base
Preanalytical phase
Glucose
Creatinine/urea
Kidneys/fluids
Point-of-care testing
Article
July 2004
Effective POCT: the need for a broader perspective
Optimizing all the steps in the testing cycle is as crucial to the success of point-of-care testing (POCT) as the measurement process itself. The complete POCT process or testing cycle is a complex series of events that involve many parties in any organization.
Consultation with all the people concerned is vital and ...
Point-of-care testing
Glucose
Article
July 2004
The heart of the matter
Blood gas analysis at the point of care plays an important role during and after an open-heart surgery. acutecaretesting.org recently talked to Prof. Knut Kleesiek, MD, Director of the Institute for Laboratory and Transfusion Medicine of the Heart and Diabetes Center North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany, to find out more ...
Point-of-care testing
Blood gases/acid-base
Glucose
Hemoglobins
Lactate
Article
June 2004
Accreditation of POCT facilities
Point-of-care testing (POCT) is one of the most rapidly
growing areas within laboratory medicine. The need for POCT has
developed because in many cases the central laboratory has been
unable to meet the expectations of clinical users, particularly
with respect to turnaround time.
It is widely recognized that...
Point-of-care testing
Quality assurance
Glucose
Article
April 2004
Crossing your Ts in POCT: training and technology
Every POCT program today struggles with providing a solid program that is error free. Each program must be designed to fit the needs of the organization, so having the right people in key positions is important.
Additionally, training and competency programs are necessary so that each POCT operator understands the...
Point-of-care testing
Quality assurance
Article
April 2004
Multiprofile blood gas method comparison studies
Numerous method comparison studies of blood gas analyzer methods have been published in the literature; unfortunately, several studies show flaws in one or several aspects of experimental design, execution, statistical analysis or interpretation of results. The most common flaw seems to be an inability to separate...
Preanalytical phase
Point-of-care testing
Quality assurance
Article
February 2004
The new CLIA quality control regulations and blood gas testing
In the U.S. all clinical laboratory determinations, including blood gas testing performed at point of care (POC) or in the central laboratory, is regulated by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA).
Congress passed CLIA to ensure accurate, reliable, and timely test results regardless of...
Point-of-care testing
Blood gases/acid-base
Quality assurance
Article
January 2004
The challenges of point-of-care testing, mate
Minimizing costs? Quality assurance? Training? Simpler devices? acutecaretesting.org asked four healthcare professionals in Australia and New Zealand what they saw as the main challenges of POCT.
Answers were broad in spectrum. Nevertheless, three challenges were (directly or indirectly) mentioned repeatedly:...
Point-of-care testing