Metformin is a widely prescribed oral antihyperglycemic drug for the long-term treatment of type 2 diabetes. It is considered a first-line drug treatment for those diabetic patients whose blood glucose remains uncontrolled by dietary and other lifestyle interventions. In addition to this established use, metformin has ...

Plasma bicarbonate concentration (HCO₃^-), an essential parameter for the assessment of patient acid-base status, is routinely generated during blood gas analysis by calculation from measured pH and pCO₂. It is also directly measured by chemical analyzers in clinical laboratories that offer bicarbonate as one component ...

In high-level athletes preparation, using point-of-care testing (POCT) in sports-specific environments, we tried to define and control the levels of exercise intensities (“energy training zones”), to quantify metabolic functionality (sports-specific energy sources, baseline conditions, functional costs of exercise in...

Fast, accurate blood gas testing is a critical component to managing the post isolated coronary artery bypass (ISO-CAB) patient in the hospital intensive care unit/coronary care Unit (ICU/CCU). Post ISO-CAB patients are admitted to the ICU/CCU after surgery mechanically ventilated. Evidence-based medicine supports...

With increasing age, an unspecific rise of fibrin degradation product in blood is observed. Thus, the D-dimer test to rule out thromboembolic events has a high false positive rate in elderly patients. In 2010, Douma et al introduced a formula to adjust D-dimer cut-off values for age in outpatients >50 years: Age ×...

D-dimers are protein products of cross-linked fibrin degradation that are present in the blood of most healthy individuals in only negligible amounts (of the order 100-200 ng/mL). As objective evidence of increased fibrinolysis, elevated blood concentration of D-dimer is by extension evidence of intravascular...

The notion that acid-base and potassium homeostasis are linked is well known. Students of laboratory medicine will learn that in general acidemia (reduced blood pH) is associated with increased plasma potassium concentration (hyperkalemia), whilst alkalemia (increased blood pH) is associated with reduced plasma...

Article reprinted with permission from NP Communications LLC/Medical Laboratory Observer, September 2013. Laboratorians responsible for arterial blood gas testing are focusing on sample integrity, operator safety, data accuracy, and workflow efficiency.  

How do errors occur in the laboratory and what can we do to prevent errors? Any test can and will fail if incorrectly performed or operated under the wrong conditions. The role of the laboratory director is to determine those conditions and to understand test limitations in order to prevent laboratory errors....

In a regional top-management decision, our laboratory was given the mission to control and quality assure all POCT activities in a regional network of 10 hospitals with emergency units. Based on previous work, new region-wide recommendations, procurements,  IT connectivity, services, training, accreditation (ISO...