The physiological stress response to critical illness and trauma determines that transiently raised blood glucose (hyperglycemia) is common among those admitted to intensive care, irrespective of their diabetes status. Much research has been directed at establishing whether or not intensive insulin therapy aimed at...

Measurement of serum lactate is increasingly being used in the assessment of emergency department (ED) patients. The prognostic significance of raised lactate (hyperlactatemia) at ED admission is the subject of a recent study conducted at the ED of a secondary and tertiary referral teaching hospital located in the...

Reprinted with permission from Biochemia Medica. The journal of Croatian Society of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine. Biochemia Medica 2016;26(3):318-36  Blood gas analysis (BGA) is exposed to risks of errors caused by improper sampling, transport and storage conditions. The Clinical and Laboratory...

It is widely acknowledged that the majority of errors in clinical laboratory and point-of-care testing occur during the preanalytical phase. Blood collection (phlebotomy) is an element of the preanalytical phase particularly prone to potential error, so that adherence to authoritative (evidence-based) recommendations...

In health plasma ionized calcium concentration (iCa) is maintained within the approximate reference range of 1.15-1.30 mmol/L (4.6-5.2 mg/dL) principally by the synergistic action of two hormones: parathyroid hormone (PTH) and the vitamin D-derived hormone, calcitriol.  Hypercalcemia (increased blood calcium),...

Monitoring patient acid-base status is one of three principal clinical utilities of blood gas analysis (the other two are monitoring patient oxygen and ventilation status). Three parameters generated during blood gas analysis (pH, pCO₂ and bicarbonate) allow this acid-base assessment and classification of all...

In health plasma potassium concentration is maintained within the approximate reference range of 3.5-5.2 mmol/L, so that hypokalemia (reduced plasma potassium) is defined as plasma potassium < 3.5 mmol/L.  Mild hypokalemia (plasma potassium in the range of 3.0-3.5 mmol/L) is a common electrolyte disturbance that may or ...

Blood gas analysis involves three measurements: blood pH, partial pressure of carbon dioxide in blood plasma (pCO₂) and partial pressure of oxygen in blood plasma (pO₂). The first two, pH and pCO₂ along with other derived (calculated) parameters (bicarbonate, base excess) generated during blood gas analysis allow...

The blood gas analyzer has an established role in the delivery suite of obstetric units. Measurement of umbilical cord blood pH and base excess provides objective evidence of the metabolic condition of newborn babies at the moment of birth.  Specifically, it allows identification of those with significant metabolic...

Nationwide harmonization of clinical laboratory practice is a stated strategic goal of the Croatian Society of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CSMBLM). In 2013, a CSMBLM working group conducted a nationwide survey of all aspects of blood gas testing practice in Croatian hospital laboratories.  This...