Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry
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To evaluate the accuracy of C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), neopterin, and endotoxin in the differential diagnosis of sepsis and non-infectious systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). ⋯ The diagnostic capacity of PCT is superior to that of CRP due to the close correlation between PCT levels and the severity of sepsis and outcome. Neopterin is very useful in the diagnosis of viral infection. The endotoxin assay in combination with CRP, PCT, or neopterin may help as a diagnostic marker for Gram-negative bacterial infection.
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A new gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method for routine quantification of urine creatine and guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) has been developed to provide a fast, reliable and inexpensive metabolic screening. Our method uses a two-step derivatization procedure which involves a reaction with hexafluoroacetylacetone followed by a reaction with mono-trimethylsilyltrifluoroacetamide. The standard curves showed linearity over a range of 43-4269 micromol/l for GAA and 38-7325 micromol/l for creatine, which covers the range of GAA and creatine normally found in urine. ⋯ This method was also employed to establish reference values for GAA and creatine in healthy infants, children and adolescents based on the analysis of 169 urine samples. Although no sex differences were observed, normal GAA urinary levels and creatine excretion are distinct in age-related subgroups. We identified a statistically significant age difference in two major groups for GAA (children under 4 years, 18-159 micromol/mmol creatinine; and subjects of 5-16 years, 18-130 micromol/mmol creatinine) whereas three groups were discriminated for creatine (children under 4 years, 0.04-1.51 mmol/mmol creatinine; subjects of 5-11 years, 0.04-1.07 mmol/mmol creatinine; and subjects of 12-16 years, 0.04-0.56 mmol/mmol creatinine).
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Creatine kinase MB (CK-MB), and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) are important biomarkers for the diagnosis and rule-out of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) of patients who presented to the emergency department (ED) with chest pain. With new rapid ED assessment protocols, there is increasing pressure to produce results with a short turnaround time (TAT), and point-of-care (POC) testing is one alternative for providing fast results. ⋯ The RAMP cardiac marker assays are alternatives to other FDA-cleared central laboratory and POC testing devices.
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[corrected] Data on within- and between-subject biological variation are available for around 250 analytes commonly used in medical laboratories. ⋯ The biological variation is a pillar for managing quality in laboratory medicine.
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Quality specifications, the level of performance required to facilitate clinical decision-making, not only have a central role in quality management in the laboratory but are also essential for assuring the interpretation and utilization of laboratory data by physicians. Consensus has been reached on the hierarchy of criteria for quality specifications. However, the information on quality specifications that should be communicated to clinicians, and the way in which this information should be given, is still widely debated. ⋯ A proposal has been made to improve the way laboratory results are communicated to clinicians, with practical information derived from quality specifications. By providing clinicians with information on quality characteristics and the degree of uncertainty, a more objective interpretation of laboratory data may be possible, and data may be more appropriately utilized for diagnosis and monitoring.