Understanding the Hematocrit Effect on Glucose Testing Using Popular Point-of-Care Testing Devices

Background: Point-of-care testing (POCT) is defined as testing done near or at the site of patient care with the goal of providing rapid information and improving patient outcomes. Point-of-care testing has many advantages and some limitations which affect its use and implementation.Objective: The aim of the audit was to determine the current practices, staff attitudes and training provided to hospital clinical staff.Methods: The audit was conducted with the use of a questionnaire containing 30 questions. One hundred and sixty questionnaires were delivered to 55 sites at Tygerberg Academic Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, from 21 June 2016 to 15 July 2016. A total of 68 questionnaires were completed and returned (42.5% response rate).Results: Most participants were nursing staff (62/68, 91%), and the rest were medical doctors (6/68, 9%). Most participants (66/68, 97%) performed glucose testing, 16/68 (24%) performed blood gas testing and 17/68 (25%) performed urine dipstick testing. Many participants (35/68, 51%) reported having had some formal training in one or more of the tests and 25/68 (37%) reported having never had any formal training in the respective tests. Many participants (46/68, 68%) reported that they never had formal assessment of competency in performing the respective tests.Conclusion: Participants indicated a lack of adequate training in POCT and, thus, limited knowledge of quality control measures. This audit gives an indication of the current state of the POCT programme at a tertiary hospital and highlights areas where intervention is needed to improve patient care and management.

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The Application of Wearable Glucose Sensors in Point-of-Care Testing

Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology ◽

10.3389/fbioe.2021.774210 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Sheng Zhang ◽

Junyan Zeng ◽

Chunge Wang ◽

Luying Feng ◽

Zening Song ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Human Health ◽

Interstitial Fluid ◽

Point Of Care ◽

Future Trend ◽

Glucose Sensors ◽

Glucose Detection ◽

Point Of Care Testing ◽

Glucose Testing ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Continuous Point

Diabetes and its complications have become a worldwide concern that influences human health negatively and even leads to death. The real-time and convenient glucose detection in biofluids is urgently needed. Traditional glucose testing is detecting glucose in blood and is invasive, which cannot be continuous and results in discomfort for the users. Consequently, wearable glucose sensors toward continuous point-of-care glucose testing in biofluids have attracted great attention, and the trend of glucose testing is from invasive to non-invasive. In this review, the wearable point-of-care glucose sensors for the detection of different biofluids including blood, sweat, saliva, tears, and interstitial fluid are discussed, and the future trend of development is prospected.

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Preanalytical issues related to routine and diagnostic glucose tests: Results from a survey in Spain

Biochemia Medica ◽

10.11613/bm.2020.010704 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (1) ◽

pp. 96-103

Author(s):

Isabel García-del-Pino ◽

Mercedes Ibarz ◽

Rubén Gómez-Rioja ◽

Paloma Salas ◽

Marta Segovia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Point Of Care ◽

Laboratory Medicine ◽

Point Of Care Testing ◽

Spanish Society ◽

Delay In Diagnosis ◽

Glucose Testing ◽

Heparin Plasma ◽

Primary Care Patients ◽

Analytical Phase

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide. The objective of this study was to find out under what preanalytical conditions routine and diagnostic glucose tests are performed across Spanish laboratories; and also what criteria are used for DM diagnosis. Materials and methods: An online survey was performed by the Commission on Quality Assurance in the Extra-Analytical Phase of the Spanish Society of Laboratory Medicine (SEQC-ML). Access to the questionnaire was available on the home page of the SEQC-ML website during the period April-July 2018. Data analysis was conducted with the IBM SPSS© Statistics (version 20.0) program. Results: A total of 96 valid surveys were obtained. Most laboratories were in public ownership, serving hospital and primary care patients, with high and medium workloads, and a predominance of mixed routine-urgent glucose testing. Serum tubes were the most used for routine glucose analysis (92%) and DM diagnosis (54%); followed by lithium-heparin plasma tubes (62%), intended primarily for urgent glucose testing; point-of care testing devices were used by 37%; and plasma tubes with a glycolysis inhibitor, mainly sodium fluoride, by 19%. Laboratories used the cut-off values and criteria recognized worldwide for DM diagnosis in adults and glucose-impaired tolerance, but diverged in terms of fasting plasma glucose and gestational DM criteria. Conclusion: Preanalytical processing of routine and DM diagnostic glucose testing in Spain does not allow a significant, non-quantified influence of glycolysis on the results to be ruled out. Possible adverse consequences include a delay in diagnosis and possible under-treatment.

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