Sepsis And The Hematology Laboratory

An affordable, widely available test can impact today`s biggest healthcare challenge.

Sepsis, the inflammatory response to infection, is quickly becoming one of the biggest healthcare problems worldwide. No matter the perspective one takes, the numbers are staggering. Currently the number of diagnosed cases per year in the United States is at least 750,000; some estimates surpass one million. Worldwide mortality estimates are as high as 20 percent, and thus we are dealing with one of the biggest drivers of mortality in modern medicine. Sepsis kills nearly as many people as heart attack, HIV, and breast cancer combined.

Viewed from the perspective of health economics, the average in-hospital cost per case is approximately $20,000 dollars, and yearly estimates of sepsis-related expenses in the U.S. alone exceed $20 billion.

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Source: MedicalLaboratoryObserver

Point-Of-Care Hemoglobin Testing: Methods And Relevance To Combat Anemia

Anemia is a condition that causes a high degree of personal disability but, historically, has lacked adequate resourcing in many public health systems. This situation is even less understandable when you consider that the main diagnostic, hemoglobin testing, is one of the most commonly used point-of-care (POC) tests, and one of the easiest to perform.

POC hemoglobin testing is often needed in settings where the use of a benchtop laboratory hematology analyzer is not practical. It is ideal for use in settings where resources are poor, or there is a need for mobility and simplicity in field use, or where turnaround time (TAT) for the test result needs to be short, as in acute clinical situations.

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Source: MedicalLaboratoryObserver

The Continuing Case for Point-of-Care Testing for HbA1c

There is an ongoing conflict between traditional clinical laboratories and the relative new kid on the block, point-of-care testing (POCT). Of course, the laboratory system will likely always be king. But there is absolutely a place for POCT, especially as the way in which we approach healthcare, especially diagnostics, develops beyond the usual settings.

POCT ensures the rapid provision of diagnostic information, ideally during one consultation, to enable clinical decisions to be made at the earliest opportunity. Such rapid provision of information facilitates optimization of the care process. The potential for any application of POCT can, therefore, be judged in terms of its contribution to decision making and to the process of care.

In the case of the management of diabetes patients, POCT for glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) may offer a number of advantages—as long as the performance characteristics of the analyzers used are equivalent to those employed in the central laboratory, and can be certified as such.

The use of HbA1c for management of diabetes

Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is well-recognized as a reliable measure for glycemic control.

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Figure 1. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) explained

Source: mlo-online

The Current State of Diagnostics for Meningitis and Encephalitis

Infections of the central nervous system (CNS) such as meningitis or encephalitis can be caused by myriad microorganisms and may be life-threatening. Patients with acute CNS infections generally present with similar findings of fever, headache, and neurological changes. Given the similarity in symptomology, it is often difficult to distinguish bacterial and viral infection based on clinical presentation alone. As a result, obtaining a rapid and accurate diagnosis is important for proper patient management. Indeed, rapid identification of CNS pathogens is critical for antimicrobial treatment in cases of bacterial or herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection. Any delays in appropriate therapy can lead to poor patient outcomes, including death.

The aim of this Continuing Education article is to review the current landscape for diagnostic testing of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in acute CNS infections, present the potential impact of rapid identification, and discuss methods to increase the diagnostic yield in uncertain cases. It is anticipated that new technologies will aid in providing rapid and accurate pathogen identification, potentially leading to better patient outcomes, improved antimicrobial stewardship, and decreased hospital costs.

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Source: pbs.twimg