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Journal Scan
April 2010
Arterial blood gases made easy
Arterial blood gas analysis is often perceived as one of the most difficult topics to be covered in the laboratory medicine curriculum, so many will welcome the promise contained in the title of this book, albeit with a degree of skepticism. They will not be disappointed. This excellent pocket-sized handbook, which...
Blood gases/acid-base
Journal Scan
April 2010
The importance of correct blood sampling for blood gas analysis
The significance of preanalytical technique for accurate arterial blood gas analysis is the focus of a recently published study. The authors of this study sought to quantitate the analytical error associated with collection of venous rather than arterial blood, delay in arterial blood analysis and contamination of...
Blood gases/acid-base
Preanalytical phase
Journal Scan
December 2009
The anion gap - a review article
The serum (plasma) anion gap is a useful additional piece of
clinical information that can be easily derived without cost from
the results of the most commonly requested biochemical profile,
urea and electrolytes (U&E). It is the difference between the
sum of measured anions (chloride and bicarbonate) and the sum of...
Electrolytes
Blood gases/acid-base
Journal Scan
December 2009
Pseudohyperkalemia
Potassium is one of the blood analytes most frequently measured in
the clinical laboratory and at the point of care. Compared with
most laboratory measurements, potassium is unusually prone to
preanalytical error so that pseudohyperkalemia, defined as raised
serum or plasma potassium concentration despite normal in...
Preanalytical phase
Electrolytes
Journal Scan
December 2009
Hyperglycemia in critical illness - should all patients be treated?
Raised blood glucose (hyperglycemia) is a common feature of
critical illness associated with increased risk of death. A
landmark study published in 2001 demonstrated that intensive
insulin therapy directed at normalizing blood glucose significantly
reduced mortality among the critically ill patient population
studied. ...
Glucose
Journal Scan
December 2009
Lactate monitoring of the critically ill
Although measurement of serum lactate has an established role in
the monitoring of critically ill patients at many hospitals around
the world, the practice is by no means universal, reflecting a
controversy that still surrounds the topic. In short there remains
no consensual answer to the broad question: Should we...
Blood gases/acid-base
Lactate
Journal Scan
December 2009
Diabetic ketoacidosis - an unusual case history
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening acute
metabolic disturbance that results from absolute or relative
insulin deficiency. It is usually precipitated by intercurrent
illness and is a relatively common complication of type 1 diabetes
but only rarely occurs in those suffering type 2 diabetes.
The
cardinal ...
Blood gases/acid-base
Glucose
Journal Scan
October 2009
Blood glucose and severe trauma
In recent years there has been increasing interest in the significance of the transitory raised blood glucose (hyperglycemia) that very often occurs in individuals suffering critical illness and trauma. A number of studies have shown an association between hyperglycemia and poor outcome. Knowledge in this area is...
Hemoglobins
Journal Scan
October 2009
Neonatal jaundice - detection and treatment thresholds
Neonatal jaundice is the subject of two recent studies and an accompanying editorial, all published in the October issue of Archives of Disease in Childhood (Neonatal Edition). The aim of the first study was to determine if visual assessment of jaundice on day 2-3 of life is accurate in estimating serum bilirubin and...
Neonatology
Bilirubin
Journal Scan
October 2009
Reflections of a pioneer in blood gas analysis
No history of the development of blood gas analysis and its application in clinical and physiology research would be complete without consideration of the pioneering work of anesthesiologist researcher Dr John Severinghaus.
As a young research fellow in the 1950s he developed the Stow-Severinghaus-type carbon dioxide ...
Blood gases/acid-base