Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry
-
Metabolic acidosis, especially when induced by multiple drug poisoning, often makes rapid and accurate differential diagnosis of the condition challenging. ⋯ Delayed high anion gap metabolic acidosis may occur in the ED. Frequent monitoring of anion and osmolal gaps is a feasible method to perform a rapid differential diagnosis, particularly in response to drug poisoning.
-
Thromboelastrography (TEG) is one of the most common whole-blood viscoelastic coagulation tests used in clinical laboratories and at the point of care. TEG provides information on coagulation defects that are often difficult to detect using routine laboratory tests such as activated partial prothrombin time or prothrombin time. ⋯ However, TEG and other viscoelastic coagulation tests are affected by unique pre-analytic and analytic variables that do not impact other common laboratory coagulation tests. In this review the underlying principles, clinical applications, and laboratory aspects of TEG testing are discussed.