This article first appeared in Pathology in Practice (Hobba H, Silver L. Evolution of POC testing. Pathology in Practice 2013; 14 [2]: 63) and is reproduced here by kind permission (www.pathologyinpractice.com). © 2013 kdm communications limited Point-of-care (POC) testing has allowed the pathology department in...

This short review aims to put the diagnostic options provided by state-of-the-art POCT  technology into perspective with the clinical challenges faced by physicians treating patients presenting with acute dyspnea.  Natriuretic peptides, hemoglobin, D-dimers and venous blood gases play a key role in the early...

Barnsley Emergency Department (ED), which recruited patients into the RATPAC trial, initiated a point-of-care (POC) pathway for low-risk chest pain patients from December 2011. All patients who underwent POC testing for chest pain between December 2011 and July 2012 were identified. Patient notes were then examined...

Point-of-care pathology testing is becoming increasingly common in hospitals, clinics and doctors’ offices; anywhere where time is critical and results are required at the patient’s side.  However, results must be accurate and reproducible to be meaningful, and it is imperative that a close eye is kept on...

Point-of-care testing (POCT) for key laboratory variables may help clinicians assess the level of acuteness and the level of care necessary in the management of deteriorating ward patients. We used a multibiomarker POCT panel including B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), D-dimer, myoglobin (Myo), creatine kinase MB...

Reprinted from Ann Lab Med 2013 Sep; 33(5):309-18. Christenson E, Christenson RH: "The role of cardiac biomarkers in the diagnosis and management of patients presenting with suspected acute coronary syndrome". Myocardial infarction (MI) is the leading cause of death in the developed world. Biomarkers have an...

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 ×...

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...

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...