Clinical laboratory measurement of serum/plasma creatinine concentration has been used to assess patient kidney function for well over 50 years. With 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 clinic.  ...

In about 30-40 % of ischemic strokes, even after an extensive clinical investigation, it is not possible to determine any one etiology. It is possible that a fraction of these strokes, named cryptogenic, happen after an episode of paroxystic atrial fibrillation (AF) that was not registered. Strokes due to atrial...

When a new D-dimer method is to be implemented either as a substitute for a currently used D-dimer assay or as a supplement, maybe as a point-of-care assay, it is necessary to do a clinical comparison of the "old" assay versus the "new" assay. The major pitfalls in D-dimer comparisons are addressed in this paper.   ...

Clinical laboratory test results are a very important parameter in diagnosis, monitoring and screening. 70-80 % of decisions in diagnosis are based on laboratory results and more and more laboratory analyses are requested. Thus a lot of data are provided and it is therefore imperative for patient care (and safety)...

One of the principal utilities of arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis is to help assess blood oxygenation status. The two ABG parameters used for this assessment are pO₂(a) (partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood) and sO₂(a) (% of total hemoglobin that is saturated with oxygen). In health pO₂(a) is maintained...

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...

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...

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 ...

Critical values are those associated with imminent danger unless acted upon promptly. Critical value menus often include results that do not fit this definition, leading to highly variable practice in adult and pediatric laboratories. Existing menus may be subdivided into more uniform tiers of severity: the highly...

Sepsis and septic shock lead to local and systemic activation of different response systems, including coagulation and fibrinolysis.  Despite numerous attempts the high mortality rate of these patients has remained stable over the last 20 years. In this overview the pathophysiological insights and possible...