BMJ : British medical journal
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Point of care testing: randomised controlled trial of clinical outcome.
To describe the proportion of patients attending an accident and emergency department for whom blood analysis at the point of care brought about a change in management; to measure the extent to which point of care testing resulted in differences in clinical outcome for these patients when compared with patients whose samples were tested by the hospital laboratory. ⋯ Point of care testing reduced the time taken to make decisions on patient management that were dependent on the results of blood tests. It also brought about faster changes in treatment for which timing was considered to be critical in about 7% of patients. These changes did not affect clinical outcome or the amount of time patients spent in the department.
-
Multicenter Study
Fatality outside hospital from acute coronary events in three British health districts, 1994-5. United Kingdom Heart Attack Study Collaborative Group.
To provide a contemporary account of the treatment and outcomes of acute coronary attacks in England and Wales and to identify strategies that might improve the outcome. ⋯ Opportunities for reducing fatality from acute coronary attacks lie mainly outside hospital. These results and others imply that survival from cardiac arrest outside hospital might be trebled by improved ambulance and patient response. Proper application of secondary preventive measures for patients with coronary disease could have an even larger impact.