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Article
January 2011
Moving the Laboratory into the Wards
As healthcare seeks to provide better care with fewer resources, Point-of-Care Testing steps in to move key diagnostic or screening tests to the patient’s bedside. The results can have a significant impact on a patient outcome and operational costs.
Blood gases/acid-base
Process optimization
Glucose
Hemoglobins
Creatinine/urea
Natriuretic peptide
Article
October 2010
D-dimer: Past, present, and future
The following is a copy of an article from Nursing 2007, Fall 2007 Volume 37 Number 8 - Supplement: ED Insider, Pages 14 - 16
The D-dimer level is a measure of clot formation and lysis that results from the degradation of cross-linked fibrin. Widely used as an indicator for the presence of disseminated intravascular ...
Coagulation/fibrinolysis
D-dimer
Article
October 2010
Creatinine measurement in the radiology department 2
Clinical laboratory measurement of serum/plasma creatinine concentration has been used to assess patient kidney function for well over 50 years.
With the incorporation of creatinine analyses to blood gas and other point-of-care platforms the test is now available outside the laboratory, at the bedside and in the...
Point-of-care testing
Glucose
Creatinine/urea
Article
October 2010
Significant figures
The appropriate number of significant figures is important in order to have a meaningful level of resolving power when reporting analytical concentrations. Various methods or criteria can be used when estimating how many significant figures are needed. In most cases three significant figures (two true plus one...
Information management
D-dimer
Troponins
Article
October 2010
"Permissive hypercapnia" finding its place in clinical care
Over the years, as clinicians have learned how to utilize it, permissive hypercapnia has been finding a place in healthcare. However, it is important to bear in mind that numbers do not tell the entire story.
It is imperative to understand the entire clinical picture before you act. For example, an acidic pH of 7.21...
Blood gases/acid-base
Point-of-care testing
Kidneys/fluids
Article
July 2010
Diagnosis of DVT with D-dimer testing and the Wells score
The following is a copy of an article from Evidence-Based Practice, 2007; 10(12):1-2.
Venous thromboembolism refers to a spectrum of disease that includes both pulmonary embolus and deep-venous thrombosis (DVT).
More than 250,000 people in the United States are diagnosed annually with venous thromboembolic disease;...
Coagulation/fibrinolysis
D-dimer
Article
July 2010
FAQ concerning the acid-base status of the blood
Some of the frequently asked questions are: Should we use BE (base excess) or SID (strong ion difference) as a measure of a metabolic acid-base disturbance? Is there any difference between BB (buffer base) and SID? Should we use SBE (standard base excess), i.e. BE referring to the expanded extracellular fluid or...
Blood gases/acid-base
Point-of-care testing
Glucose
Lactate
Creatinine/urea
Hemoglobins
Article
July 2010
Lean as a learning system in a hospital ward
PURPOSE – The purpose of this article is to discuss lean as a learning system in a hospital ward.
DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH – Discusses lean as a learning system in a hospital ward.
FINDINGS – The Toyota veterans are fond of saying, lean is about “making people before making parts” or, in the wards’ context,...
Process optimization
Information management
Article
July 2010
Cardiac biomarkers for acute coronary syndrome and ongoing myocardial damage in heart failure
The growing role of cardiac markers has
been elucidated in patients with acute coronary syndrome, heart
failure and other cardiovascular diseases.
The markers can be cytosolic like
heart-type fatty-acid-binding protein (H-FABP) and creatine kinase
MB (CKMB), myofibrillary like troponin T (TnT) and cardio-endocrine...
Cardiac markers
Troponins
Natriuretic peptide
Article
July 2010
The significance of base excess (BEB) and base excess in the extra cellular fluid compartment (BEEcf)
BACKGROUND: Besides actual pH, base excess (ctH+B (mmol/L)) is of major importance since it is meant to reflect lactate acidosis due to fetal hypoxia; in vivo BEB is not independent from pCO2.
Independence is achieved by using the extended extracellular fluid (Ecf) for dilution of hemoglobin (cHbB), reducing cHbB to ...
Blood gases/acid-base
Neonatology
Point-of-care testing
Lactate
Hemoglobins