Definite diagnosis of infection requires microbiological documentation; however, the identification of a specific etiology is frequently missing. In addition, bacterial cultures require at least 24-48 hours for a final result, which is too long for a decision to start antibiotics. Currently, the evaluation of the...

The population-based reference interval is the most widely used tool for interpretation of individual patient laboratory test results. The clinical value of those results depend crucially on the reference intervals with which they are compared, and all efforts directed at ensuring analytically precise and accurate...

Premature, very-low-birth-weight babies have immature lungs and frequently require mechanical ventilation to ensure the gas (O₂, CO₂) exchange necessary for survival. Ventilation sufficiently aggressive to maintain partial pressure of carbon dioxide in blood (pCO₂) within normal limits can cause mechanical damage to...

Fingerstick (capillary blood) samples are not suitable for glucose measurement in an intensive care setting and whole-blood glucose results obtained using a blood gas analyzer agree more closely with reference laboratory measurement than a dedicated point-of-care glucose meter. These are the two headline conclusions...

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...

Pulse oximetry provides a simple non-invasive method of monitoring the oxygenation status of patients by indirectly measuring the percentage of hemoglobin that is saturated with oxygen, i.e. % oxygen saturation (SpO₂). Pulse oximetry has important limitations, including inaccurate readings in patients with inherited...

Blood gas analysis has been performed at the point of care for well over 20 years and is sufficiently established for clinicians to have no misgivings about using pH, pCO₂ and pO₂ results obtained at the point of care for direct patient management.  Modern blood gas analyzers now have the capacity to measure not only...

Chest pain is a frequent cause of hospitalization and comprises a significant proportion of the acute medical workload in the western world. This issue is compounded for those living in regional or remote communities due to limited access to pathology services and tertiary-referral institutions. Evidence suggests...

Updated with new information from a 2008 article! Health demands that despite quite significant variation in its rate of production, the amount of carbon dioxide in blood is maintained within well-defined narrow limits. The homeostatic mechanisms that maintain the normal content of carbon dioxide in blood are...

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...