Clin Chem Lab Med
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In response to increasingly complex demands in terms of productivity and budgets, there is a critical need to avoid mistakes during instrument selection that will be financially costly, and adversely affect customers, staff, productivity and test turnaround time. As there is no "one size fits all", guidelines must be appropriate to permit informed decision making. A Medline search was conducted to assess background knowledge in this area, using the terms "laboratory instrument selection" and "laboratory instrument evaluation". ⋯ Appropriate criteria for instrument selection were established in the current report based on subjective and objective (technical) evaluations. Additionally, a sound and simple financial approach is also suggested to help in making informed decisions and avoid costly mistakes. We propose that such a process as outlined in our report will protect laboratories from making costly and avoidable mistakes in the acquisition of major equipment.
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The aim of this study was to provide an improved outline of the patterns and correlates of changes in plasma bilirubin after partial hepatectomy. ⋯ Major hepatectomy, parenchymal ischemia, and sepsis have similar and synergistic impacts as determinants of prominently conjugated hyperbilirubinemia after liver resection. This is likely related to impaired hepatocellular bilirubin transport and occurs in the absence of obstructive components.
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Established general risk score models for intensive care patients incorporate several clinical and laboratory data. However, the collection, documentation and classification of clinical data are time-consuming, incur labor-related costs, and are dependent on the experience of the examiner. Therefore, in the present study a general score for medical intensive care patients based solely on routine laboratory parameters is presented. ⋯ We show that a general risk score for medical intensive care patients on admission based solely on routine laboratory parameters is feasible. The quality of risk estimation using CREEK is comparable to established risk models. Furthermore, this new score is based on quality controlled low-cost laboratory parameters that are routinely measured on admission to the intensive care unit. Therefore, no additional costs are involved.
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Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) produces nitric oxide, which plays a role in vasodilatation and in the regulation of cell growth and apoptosis. eNOS-deficient mice have impaired cardiac development resulting in congenital heart defects (CHDs). In humans, a single nucleotide polymorphism in the gene coding for eNOS (894G>T) is associated with birth defects. ⋯ Our data indicate that the eNOS 894G>T polymorphism is associated with increased CHD risk. The study also provides evidence of a possible gene-environment interaction effect on CHD risk between the maternal eNOS 894G>T variant and maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy. This observation should be interpreted with caution because of the relatively small subgroups. Further study in a larger group of CHD subjects is required.
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The aim of this study was to test the diagnostic model of combining procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in the cord blood and routinely used biochemical parameters and clinical data in the prediction of early onset neonatal infection. ⋯ The diagnostic model based on seven clinical and laboratory parameters, using the concentration of PCT and CRP measurements in the cord blood, could be a useful tool for the prediction of early onset neonatal infection.