The Benefits of a Rapid, Point-of-Care “TnI-Only” Zero and 2-Hour Protocol for the Evaluation of Chest Pain Patients in the Emergency Department

Implementation of point-of-care testing in a pediatric healthcare setting

Point-of-care testing (POCT) refers to testing performed outside the clinical laboratory near the patient or at the site of patient care. This could be in critical care settings like the intensive care unit (ICU) and emergency department (ED) or primary care settings like physician offices where testing is performed by nonlaboratory personnel. POCT circumvents several steps in central laboratory testing including specimen transportation and processing resulting in faster turnaround times. Provider access to rapid test results at the site of patient care allows for prompt medical decision making which can lead to improved patient outcomes, operational efficiencies, patient satisfaction, and even cost savings in some cases. In addition to providing results rapidly, POCT devices have small specimen volume requirements compared to central laboratory tests making POCT particularly attractive for pediatric healthcare settings. The availability of published reports on the impact of POCT implementation in pediatric care are helpful resources when evaluating the clinical necessity of POCT prior to implementation. Even though several studies have shown advantages to implementing POCT in different pediatric settings, it is important to note that limitations exist that might limit the utilization of certain POCTs in some pediatric populations. So, it is important that these limitations and the analytical performance of a test are considered while keeping the target patient population in mind. Since POCTs are performed by non-laboratory staff who are not trained laboratory personnel, one challenge with POCT is maintaining regulatory compliance and quality assurance. It is therefore important that regulatory and quality assurance programs be put in place prior to implementing POCT in the pediatric hospital. With advances in POCT technology, most POCT devices have the capability to interface to the laboratory information system (LIS) and electronic medical record (EMR). POCT device interfacing allows for improved compliance to regulatory and quality assurance standards. Maintaining a cost efficient POCT program is becoming increasingly important as hospitals and healthcare systems are undergoing consolidation and harmonization. This includes assessing the clinical and operational benefit of POCT before implementation and inventory management to ensure minimal reagent wastage. This review discusses these different considerations when implementing POCT with a focus on the pediatric healthcare setting.

A systematic evaluation of immunoassay point-of-care testing to define impact on patients' outcomes

Background Point-of-care testing has been developed to provide rapid test results. Most published studies focus on analytical performance, neglecting its impact on patient outcomes. Objective To review the analytical performance and accuracy of point-of-care testing specifically planned for immunoassay and to evaluate the impact of faster results on patient management. Methods A search of electronic databases for studies reporting immunoassay results obtained in both point-of-care testing and central laboratory scenarios was performed. Data were extracted concerning the study details, and the methodological quality was assessed. The analytical characteristics and diagnostic accuracy of six points-of-care testing: troponin, procalcitonin, parathyroid hormone, brain natriuretic peptide, C-reactive protein and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin were evaluated. Results A total of 116 scientific papers were analysed. Studies measuring procalcitonin, parathyroid hormone and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin reported a limited impact on diagnostic decisions. Seven studies measuring C-reactive protein claimed a significant reduction of antibiotic prescription. Several authors evaluated brain natriuretic peptide or troponin reporting faster decision-making without any improvement in clinical outcome. Forty-four per cent of studies reported analytical data, showing satisfactory correlations between results obtained through point-of-care testing and central laboratory setting. Half of studies defined the diagnostic accuracy of point-of-care testing as acceptable for troponin (median sensitivity and specificity: 74% and 94%, respectively), brain natriuretic peptide (median sensitivity and specificity: 82% and 88%, respectively) and C-reactive protein (median sensitivity and specificity 85%). Conclusions Point-of-care testing immunoassay results seem to be reliable and accurate for troponin, brain natriuretic peptide and C-reactive protein. The satisfactory analytical performance, together with an excellent practicability, suggests that it could be a consistent tool in clinical practice, but data are lacking regarding the patient outcomes.

Advances in Cardiac Biomarkers of Acute Coronary Syndrome

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) encompasses a pathophysiological spectrum of cardiovascular diseases, all of which have significant morbidity and mortality. ACS was once considered an acute condition; however, new treatment strategies and improvements in biomarker assays have led to ACS being an acute and chronic disease. Cardiac troponin is the preferred biomarker for the diagnosis of myocardial infarction, and there is considerable interest and efforts toward development and implementation of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) assays worldwide. Analytical and clinical performance characteristics of hs-cTn assays as well as testing limitations are important for laboratorians and clinicians to understand in order to utilize testing appropriately. Furthermore, expanding the clinical utility of hs-cTn into other cohorts such as asymptomatic community dwelling populations, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease populations supports novel opportunities for improved short- and long-term prognosis.

Evaluation of optical detection platforms for multiplexed detection of proteins and the need for point-of-care biosensors for clinical use

This review investigates optical sensor platforms for protein multiplexing, the ability to analyze multiple analytes simultaneously. Multiplexing is becoming increasingly important for clinical needs because disease and therapeutic response often involve the interplay between a variety of complex biological networks encompassing multiple, rather than single, proteins. Multiplexing is generally achieved through one of two routes, either through spatial separation on a surface (different wells or spots) or with the use of unique identifiers/labels (such as spectral separation-different colored dyes, or unique beads-size or color). The strengths and weaknesses of conventional platforms such as immunoassays and new platforms involving protein arrays and lab-on-a-chip technology, including commercially-available devices, are discussed. Three major public health concerns are identified whereby detecting medically-relevant markers using Point-of-Care (POC) multiplex assays could potentially allow for a more efficient diagnosis and treatment of diseases.