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...

Troponin values above the 99th percentile and increasing/falling values found by serial testing in addition to signs and symptoms of myocardial ischemia means AMI. Low troponin values, near or below the 99th percentile, can be used for prognosis. Highest hazard ratios were found when using the 90th percentile,...

Pleural effusion, defined as excess fluid in the pleural space, can complicate the course of a large and pathologically diverse range of pulmonary and non-pulmonary diseases. Laboratory analysis of pleural fluid provides much useful information for the clinician whose diagnostic challenge is the patient presenting...

The anion gap (AG) is a calculated parameter derived from measured serum/plasma electrolyte concentrations. The clinical value of this calculated parameter is the main focus of this article. Both increased and reduced anion gap have clinical significance, but the deviation from normal that has most clinical...

Patients with heart failure (HF) experience significant morbidity and mortality and those admitted for acute decompensated HF are at particularly high risk for adverse events. Hospitalization represents the major component of the high cost associated with the management of patients with HF. Accordingly, early and...

Recent studies of D-dimer as a “rule-out” test for deep venous thrombosis (DVT) frequently have used duplex ultrasound rather than venography as the gold standard. Because duplex ultrasound has limited ability to image the calf veins, there is potential for ultrasound studies to classify patients with calf DVT as...

This is the second of two articles focusing on the reference interval, the most widely used tool for interpretation of patient test results.  The first [1] was an introduction to the theoretical concepts that underpin the significance, construction and use of reference intervals. Here consideration is given to the...

Applications of point-of-care testing (POCT) for diagnostic biomarker measurement in healthcare have increased significantly in recent years in a wide range of clinical scenarios. These include infectious disease, critical care, cardiology and other areas of emergency medicine. Traditionally, routine clinical...

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...

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...