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....

Emergency Department (ED) overcrowding is becoming an increasingly international issue.  Although the problem is not only resolved by ED change management (but rather requires a system-wide solution recognizing the complex interdependencies of consumer expectations, human resources, information systems immaturity and...

Few studies have addressed the predictive value of C-reactive protein at different cutoff values in appendicitis. We have determined the cutoff values for C-reactive protein levels at different periods during clinical evolution of appendicitis and established their use to support the diagnosis of appendicitis. The...

Many authors contend that drawing of umbilical ABGs is a simple method to evaluate the condition of the neonate and ideally would be routinely done for all newborns [13]. Other authors disagree. Appropriate general principles guide clinicians when drawing and interpreting ABGs for all patients. The special needs of...

Clinical biomarker studies seldom follow recommendations for the evaluation of new biomarkers. Therefore it is important to assess any published clinical value of a biomarker or comparison of two or more biomarkers and see whether or not the published study applies to your situation. If the published study does not...

When collecting blood for blood gas analysis, it is important to remove air bubbles from syringes to avoid erroneous results, especially for pO₂, with a number of factors affecting the potential magnitude of the interference to pO₂ by air bubbles.  In this study, we calculate the expected theoretical changes in pO₂...

Despite the pervasive measurement of cardiac troponin (cTn) for the diagnosis of myocardial infarction (AMI) and acute coronary syndromes (ACS), the continuous evolution of assays and guidelines for their application has created uncertainty among laboratorians and clinicians: criteria for the choice of assay and...

Differentiating self-limiting from serious lower-respiratory-tract infections (LRTI) based on medical history and physical examination is challenging in primary care. Many family physicians (FPs) empirically prescribe antibiotics to most LRTI patients.  The use of C-reactive protein (CRP) point-of-care testing as an...

In the ED, 25 % of patients with angina pectoris with suspected AMI are wrongly diagnosed (no cardiac involvement). As a result, the patient risks are increased and resources are wasted. We investigated the effect of point-of-care testing (POCT) on ED processes, resource needs, patient risks and overall costs. POCT...