Clinical biochemistry
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Clinical biochemistry · Mar 2005
Pleural fluid and serum procalcitonin as diagnostic tools in tuberculous pleurisy.
Diagnosis of tuberculous pleuritis is difficult because of its nonspecific clinical presentation and decreased efficiency of traditional diagnostic methods. We investigated the use of procalcitonin (PCT) concentration in tuberculous pleuritis diagnosis. ⋯ Relative to the current cut-off level of 0.5 ng/mL, PCT concentration is not a useful parameter for the diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy. Because there were PCT levels in patients with tuberculous pleurisy that were below the current cut-off level but were significantly different from those of the nontuberculous group, the use of PCT should be further investigated.
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Clinical biochemistry · Nov 2004
Urinary 5-hydroxy indole acetic acid as a test for early diagnosis of acute appendicitis.
Acute appendicitis (AA) is the most common abdominal emergency. The appendix has abundant serotonin containing cells. Upon inflammation, serotonin is released in the blood and converted into 5-HIAA (5-hydroxy indole acetic acid). Measurement of the urine 5-HIAA (U-5-HIAA) could be a reliable marker of inflammation of the appendix. We have compared the powers of test performance of spot U-5-HIAA and spot U-5-HIAA/creatinin with other routine laboratory tests used for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. ⋯ : Urinary secretion of 5-HIAA increases significantly in acute appendicitis and measurement of spot U-5-HIAA gives higher diagnostic accuracy than other routine laboratory tests. While the inflammation progresses to necrosis of the appendix, the concentration of 5-HIAA decreases. This decrease could be a warning sign of perforation of the appendix.
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Clinical biochemistry · Jun 2004
Comparative StudyPoint of care testing: improving pediatric outcomes.
Goal-directed therapy (GDT) has been proven to reduce morbidly and mortality in critical illness. Point of care testing (POCT) allows rapid turn around time (TAT) of critical data, yet data suggesting improved outcomes are very limited. The impact of these two strategies on improving outcomes for patients after congenital heart surgery has never been evaluated. ⋯ The combination of goal-directed therapy and point of care testing significantly reduced mortality in patients undergoing congenital heart surgery. This improvement is greatest in the youngest patients and those undergoing higher-risk surgeries.
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Clinical biochemistry · May 2003
False-positive microhematuria in dipsticks urinalysis caused by the presence of semen in urine.
Positive readings of blood in dipstick urinalysis may indicate trauma or imbalance in hemostasis associated with drug treatment. We evaluated the possibility that the presence of semen in urine may cause false-positive hematuria. ⋯ In men, postcoital urine may be falsely "positive" for microhematuria. This may have implication on the management of male patients in emergency situations such as acute coronary syndromes.