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...

In an exclusive acutecaretesting.org interview, Dr Mario Plebani, Head of the Department of Laboratory Medicine at the University Hospital of Padova, Italy and international patient safety advocate, talks about how laboratory, clinicians and manufacturers can work together to reduce errors in testing and diagnosing...

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...

Chest pain is a frequent cause of hospitalization and comprises a significant proportion of the acute medical workload in the western world. This issue is compounded for those living in regional or remote communities due to limited access to pathology services and tertiary-referral institutions. Evidence suggests...

All clinical procedures and treatments are associated with potential adverse effects of greater or lesser significance.  The undisputed value of blood testing for both diagnosis and monitoring of disease is tempered by the recognition that repeated blood sampling can result in blood loss of sufficient magnitude to...

With the use of a new Data Management System (DMS) software program [1], the majority of Point Of Care Testing (POCT) equipment throughout the Waikato District Health Board region has been connected to the Laboratory Information System (LIS) and the Hospital Information System (HIS). Prior to the new DMS, viewing...

The ‘gold standard’ sample for blood gas analysis is arterial blood obtained via an indwelling arterial catheter or by arterial puncture. For a number of reasons capillary blood is an attractive substitute sample that is routinely used in some clinical settings.  The purpose of this article is to examine the evidence ...

It is estimated that a majority of all laboratory medicine errors are errors that occur during the preanalytical phase of the laboratory testing cycle. Such errors have a significant impact on patient safety, staff workload, and hospital costs.  Correctly identifying patients and avoiding specimen-labeling errors are...

Introduction of point–of-care testing (POCT) in hospitals requires the use of principles of change management. Manufacturers can support this process. E-learning programs adapted to the local situation with regular updates, a centralized accreditation and user-registration system and service level agreements are...