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Articles and journal scans about Preanalytical phase
Journal Scan
January 2009
EDTA contamination - a cause of spurious hyperkalemia that can go undetected
The anticoagulant potassium ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid (K+ EDTA) is present in sample tubes used to collect samples for full blood count (FBC) and some other tests. However, the anticoagulant has the effect of markedly increasing plasma potassium concentration and reducing plasma calcium, magnesium and zinc...
Preanalytical phase
Electrolytes
Article
October 2008
Iatrogenic anemia - a downside of blood testing
All clinical procedures and treatments are associated with potential adverse effects of greater or lesser significance.
The undisputed value of blood testing for both diagnosis and monitoring of disease is tempered by the recognition that repeated blood sampling can result in blood loss of sufficient magnitude to...
Preanalytical phase
Hemoglobins
Journal Scan
October 2008
Towards a more accurate assessment of pleural fluid pH
Pleural effusion, defined as excess fluid in the pleural cavity,
can complicate the course of a pathologically diverse range of
common clinical conditions, including infectious and malignant
disease of the lung, heart failure, cirrhosis, pancreatitis and
rheumatoid arthritis.
Microbiological, cytological and chemical...
Blood gases/acid-base
Preanalytical phase
Journal Scan
July 2008
Glucose meters in the intensive care unit
Intensive intravenous insulin therapy directed at maintaining blood glucose concentration within tight normal limits (4.4–6.1 mmol/L) is now a standard of care for the critically ill. This requires frequent point of care blood glucose testing.
For appropriate intravenous insulin dosing it is vital that the chosen...
Glucose
Preanalytical phase
Article
July 2008
Capillary blood gases - to arterialize or not
The ‘gold standard’ sample for blood gas analysis is arterial blood obtained via an indwelling arterial catheter or by arterial puncture. For a number of reasons capillary blood is an attractive substitute sample that is routinely used in some clinical settings.
The purpose of this article is to examine the evidence ...
Neonatology
Glucose
Preanalytical phase
Journal Scan
July 2008
Umbilical cord blood gases - a sampling effect
Umbilical cord blood gas analysis provides objective evidence of neonatal condition at birth; a particular utility of the test is to identify those babies who have suffered significant oxygen deficit prior to delivery. Traditional obstetric practice is to clamp the umbilical cord within seconds of delivery but some...
Lactate
Blood gases/acid-base
Neonatology
Preanalytical phase
Article
July 2008
How to Avoid Preanalytical Testing Errors: A Virtual Roundtable Discussion
It is estimated that a majority of all laboratory medicine errors are errors that occur during the preanalytical phase of the laboratory testing cycle. Such errors have a significant impact on patient safety, staff workload, and hospital costs.
Correctly identifying patients and avoiding specimen-labeling errors are...
Point-of-care testing
Preanalytical phase
Quality assurance
Glucose
Journal Scan
April 2008
Reduced pO2 - an unusual case history
In health the partial pressure of oxygen (pO2) in arterial blood is maintained between 10.6 and 13.3 kPa (80-100 mmHg). Hypoxemia (reduced arterial pO2) is usually a signal of significant respiratory or cardiac disease and respiratory failure is defined as arterial blood pO2 < 8 kPa (
So when arterial blood gas...
Blood gases/acid-base
Preanalytical phase
Article
January 2008
Measurement of circulating glucose: The problem of inconsistent sample and methodology
There are few medical diagnoses that depend solely on the result of a single blood test, but diabetes mellitus, which is defined by concentration of circulating glucose, is one that does.
Quite apart from its long established role in diagnosis as well as life-long monitoring of diabetes, measurement of circulating...
Glucose
Hemoglobins
Preanalytical phase
Article
January 2008
Use of local anesthesia for arterial punctures
Reprinted from AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CRITICAL CARE, November 2006, Volume 15, No 6, 595-599 Hudson TL, Dukes SF, Reilly K. Use of local anesthesia for arterial puncture.
Copyright with permission from American Journal of Critical Care
BACKGROUND
Except for intravenous therapy, arterial access is the most common...
Blood gases/acid-base
Preanalytical phase