Point of Care Testing (ebook)

Argumento de Point of Care Testing (ebook)

Point of care testing (POCT ) is a new concept in labora tory medicine that is widely used at present. Basically, thelaboratory investigation is one of the two main tools of the physicians for management of a patient, the laboratory investigation and drug therapy. The aim of the laboratory investigation is to diagnosing of the abnormality of the patient.The investigation in medicine has a very long history. At first, it was the role of the general physician to perfor such test.However, when there are a lot of advent and influx of huge workload to the physician, the role is changed to be taken by themedical scientist or medical technologist. The setting of the specific medical laboratory in the hospital has been done for centuries. The laboratory takes theresponsibility in performing the test according to the medical orders. The specific branch of medicine, clinical pathology isdeveloped at that time. Focusing on the present laboratory investigations, there are two main forms as the followings: 1. Investigation at the central laboratory Investigation at the central laboratory is the inves- tigation that is performed in the central laboratory of the hospital.This is the classical approach. The specimens are collected form the ward or clinic and passed to the centrallaboratory for laboratory analysis then the results are reported back from the central laboratory. 2. Investigation at bedside Investigation at bedside is the usage of simple laboratory investigation at the bedside. The physicians or inchargenurses perform some simple tests for rapid assessment of the patients? status. The examples of those tests arehematocrit, urinalysis, etc. This helps fasten the laboratory analysis process.0