Scandinavian journal of clinical and laboratory investigation
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Scand. J. Clin. Lab. Invest. · Jan 2003
Analytical performance of time-resolved fluorometry-based Innotrac Aio! cardiac marker immunoassays.
The results of an evaluation of the Innotrac Aio! cardiac markers are presented. This system is based on dry-chemistry, time-resolved fluorometry. All assay-specific reagents are dry-coated into assay-specific cups, and only the generic assay buffer is required. ⋯ The stability of the analytes in the lithium heparin samples at room temperature was also studied and was found to be decreased by from 10% (myoglobin and CK-MB) to 17% (cTnI) in 8 h. Innotrac Aio! provides a rapid and easy quantitative measurement of cardiac TnI, CK-MB, and myoglobin within < 18 min. This system is therefore suitable for use in emergency departments, coronary care units or central laboratory settings.
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Scand. J. Clin. Lab. Invest. · Jan 2003
A paracetamol-pasta test for assessing gastric emptying in healthy and diabetic subjects.
Previous studies have shown that the relationship between gastrointestinal symptoms and gastric emptying is weak. Therefore the quantitative assessment of gastric emptying with a relatively simple, non-invasive test would be of considerable clinical value in insulin-treated diabetic patients to identify those with disturbed gastric emptying. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the inter- and intra-subject variability of a paracetamol-pasta test in healthy subjects and in IDDM patients. ⋯ The inter-subject CVs of all parameters calculated were generally higher in diabetic patients. This study indicates that the assessment of paracetamol absorption kinetics during a paracetamol-pasta test is reproducible in healthy as well as in diabetic subjects. Diabetic patients with non-optimal glucose control and without a case history indicating gastroduodenal motor function disturbances achieve lower serum concentration of P at 15 min and generally display a higher inter-individual variability indicative of subclinical disturbances of gastric emptying in this group of patients.
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Scand. J. Clin. Lab. Invest. · Jan 2002
Clinical TrialMeasurement of blood and plasma coagulation time using free oscillating rheometry.
An assay based on free oscillating rheometry to measure the activity of coagulation factors is described. The method can be used in blood and plasma and is particularly suitable for screening and monitoring coagulation disturbances in point-of-care testing (POCT) in environments where quick analysis with minimal preanalytical work is needed. In this study the endpoint as clotting onset time (COT) is determined by a deviation from initial viscoelastic properties of an oscillating sample. ⋯ COT was shown to give a dose-dependent response to added thrombin and to be resistant to high concentrations of corn trypsin inhibitor, indicating measurement of the tissue-factor-dependent pathway of coagulation activation. COT in recalcified blood and plasma covariated with prothrombin time (PT) according to Owren, and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). The technique and instrument used proved to be quick and easy to handle, and suitable for POCT as well as for examinations in the laboratory.
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Cytokines and leukocyte adhesion molecules are activated and found in increased concentrations in bacterial infection. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether some of these new serum markers could be feasible as a single on-admission test to predict acute appendicitis (AA). ⋯ ROC analysis confirmed that IL-6 showed the best trend in the diagnosis of AA. However, the diagnosis of AA was not greatly improved by any of the new serum markers as single on-admission tests.
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Scand. J. Clin. Lab. Invest. · Jan 2002
Intratracheal pulmonary ventilation keeps tracheal tubes clean without impairing mucociliary transport.
Intratracheal pulmonary ventilation (ITPV) is a form of tracheal gas insufflation through a reverse thrust catheter that facilitates expiration and enhances CO2 removal. Tracheas of sheep mechanically ventilated for 3 days with gas delivered through the reverse-thrust catheter remained free of secretions, without suctioning. It was hypothesized that: 1) The expiratory flow from the lungs, combined with continuous cephalad flow from the reverse-thrust catheter keeps endotracheal tubes clean; and 2) tracheal mucus velocity is not impaired by ITPV. ⋯ The enhanced expiratory flow during ITPV expels secretions from the endotracheal tube through entraining of mucus at the tip of the endotracheal tube. Tracheal mucus velocity is not influenced by ITPV.