title: Appropriateness of point-of-care testing (POCT) in an emergency department.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute coronary syndrome is a major cause of death, morbidity and access in emergency departments (ED).
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated a point-of-care testing (POCT) for the determinations of cardiac markers in an emergency department (ED), defining the clinical efficiency (management of patient with chest pain) and economic effectiveness (rationalization of preanalytical phase) related to data of Core Lab.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of analytical performances showed a good correlation (cTnI r(2)=0.89, myoglobin r(2)=0.84, CK-MB r(2)=0.9) between POCT and Core Lab and a significant decrease of the turn around time (TAT): difference of medians=-54 min, 95% CI from -48 to -60 min.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data confirmed that the accurate utilization of POCT in the ED assumes an effective triage of patient with chest pain and the improvement of preanalytical phase out of the laboratory (delivery of specimens) and within the laboratory reception, centrifugation. However, efficiency must be linked to methodological and quality control of the Core Lab, mainly through connectivity.
authors.affiliation: Patologia Clinica I, University-Hospital of Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare N. 11, Bari, Italy. diseriofrancesca@tiscali.it
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Serio
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Antonelli
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Trerotoli
authors.forename: Marilina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tampoia
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matarrese
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pansini
mesh_terms: D004638:Emergency Treatment / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems / Q000592:standards; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards