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Articles and journal scans about Point-of-care testing
Article
September 2012
The importance of quality control (QC) to quality blood gas testing
Test results, essential for quality healthcare, constitute more than 70% of patients’ health records. Because quality results are so important, governments around the world mandate a series of laboratory practices to ensure quality.
All laboratories in the United States follow the Clinical Laboratory Improvement...
Point-of-care testing
Blood gases/acid-base
Quality assurance
Journal Scan
July 2012
Pseudohypernatremia - evidence of a common problem
Around 25 % of blood samples recovered from patients admitted to intensive care and 8 % of those recovered from all other hospitalised patients would return a plasma sodium result 4-10 mmol higher than its true value if the method of analysis was indirect ion selective electrode (ISE). This is the headline finding of...
Point-of-care testing
Electrolytes
Article
July 2012
Troponin testing at the point of care: What is needed, and when?
Despite the pervasive measurement of cardiac troponin (cTn) for the diagnosis of myocardial infarction (AMI) and acute coronary syndromes (ACS), the continuous evolution of assays and guidelines for their application has created uncertainty among laboratorians and clinicians: criteria for the choice of assay and...
Point-of-care testing
Cardiac markers
Troponins
Article
July 2012
Preanalytical errors in Point-Of-Care Testing
Preanalytical errors are quite frequent in the area of point-of-care testing (POCT). There are many reasons for that. First of all, POCT testing is usually performed by clinical staff (i.e. nurses and physicians), who are neither so skilled nor educated for laboratory work as laboratory professionals.
Moreover,...
Point-of-care testing
Quality assurance
Preanalytical phase
Article
July 2012
Blood Lactate: A Useful Analysis in Emergency Care
Reprinted and translated by permission of Läkartidningen from “Serumlaktat - användbar analys inom akutsjukvården”, by Bengt R Widgren and Monique Ekhardt, 2011; vol 108: 475-477. Copyright 2011 by Author, Läkartidningen and AB Typoform, Sweden.Translated by Radiometer Medical ApS.
In emergency care triage, diagnosis...
Point-of-care testing
Glucose
Process optimization
CRP
Lactate
Hemoglobins
Article
April 2012
C-reactive protein point-of-care testing for respiratory-tract infections in primary care
Differentiating self-limiting from serious lower-respiratory-tract infections (LRTI) based on medical history and physical examination is challenging in primary care. Many family physicians (FPs) empirically prescribe antibiotics to most LRTI patients.
The use of C-reactive protein (CRP) point-of-care testing as an...
Infection/sepsis
Point-of-care testing
PCT
CRP
Article
January 2012
Why Point of Care lactate?
Sepsis is a major cause of mortality and morbidity for hospitalized patients around the world. Early intervention can reduce mortality and morbidity from severe sepsis, but signs and symptoms of sepsis are non-specific. Point-of-care lactate has proved to be an invaluable tool for some institutions in standardized...
Glucose
Infection/sepsis
Point-of-care testing
Process optimization
Lactate
Journal Scan
January 2012
Point-of-care screening for diabetic ketoacidosis
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a common acute and potentially life-threatening complication of diabetes that results from insulin deficiency, is characterized by raised blood glucose (hyperglycemia) and metabolic acidosis. Metabolic acidosis occurs due to abnormal accumulation in blood of ketoacids, principally...
Point-of-care testing
Article
January 2012
POCT in the ED - relevant clinical and economical advantages
In the ED, 25 % of patients with angina pectoris with suspected AMI are wrongly diagnosed (no cardiac involvement). As a result, the patient risks are increased and resources are wasted.
We investigated the effect of point-of-care testing (POCT) on ED processes, resource needs, patient risks and overall costs.
POCT...
Cardiac markers
Process optimization
Point-of-care testing
Lactate
Creatinine/urea
D-dimer
Troponins
Natriuretic peptide
Journal Scan
October 2011
Point-of-care creatinine testing in radiology
The necessary administration of image-enhancing agents to patients prior to radiological investigation is associated with risk of two serious adverse effects: nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) and contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). The risk only applies to those patients with renal disease, either acute kidney...
Kidneys/fluids
Point-of-care testing
Hemoglobins