Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric validation of point-of-care outcome assessment tools in Chinese palliative care clinical practice.

BACKGROUND: A standardized national approach to routinely assessing palliative care patients helps improve patient outcomes. However, a quality improvement program-based on person centered outcomes within palliative care is lacking in Mainland China. The well-established Australian Palliative Care Outcome Collaboration (PCOC) national model improves palliative care quality. This study aimed to culturally adapt and validate three measures that form part of the PCOC program for palliative care clinical practice in China: The PCOC Symptom Assessment Scale (PCOC SAS), Palliative Care Problem Severity Scale (PCPSS), Palliative Care Phase. METHODS: A study was conducted on cross-cultural adaptation and validation of PCOC SAS, PCPSS and Palliative Care Phase, involving translation methods, cognitive interviewing, and psychometric testing through paired assessments. RESULTS: Cross-cultural adaptation highlighted the need to strengthen the link between the patient's care plan and the outcome measures to improve outcomes, and the concept of distress in PCOC SAS. Analysis of 368 paired assessments (n = 135 inpatients, 22 clinicians) demonstrated that the PCOC SAS and PCPSS had good and acceptable coherence (Cronbach's a = 0.85, 0.75 respectively). Palliative Care Phase detected patients' urgent needs. PCOC SAS and PCPSS showed fair discriminant and concurrent validity. Inter-rater reliability was fair for Palliative Care Phase (k = 0.31) and PCPSS (k = 0.23-0.30), except for PCPSS-pain, which was moderate (k = 0.53). CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese version of PCOC SAS, PCPSS, and Palliative Care Phase can be used to assess outcomes as part of routine clinical practice in Mainland China. Comprehensive clinical education regarding the assessment tools is necessary to help improve the inter-rater reliability.

Optimising HIV drug resistance testing laboratory networks in Kenya: insights from systems engineering modelling.

BACKGROUND: HIV drug resistance (DR) is a growing threat to the durability of current and future HIV treatment success. DR testing (DRT) technologies are very expensive and specialised, relying on centralised laboratories in most low and middle-income countries. Modelling for laboratory network with point-of-care (POC) DRT assays to minimise turnaround time (TAT), is urgently needed to meet the growing demand. METHODS: We developed a model with user-friendly interface using integer programming and queueing theory to improve the DRT system in Kisumu County, Kenya. We estimated DRT demand based on both current and idealised scenarios and evaluated a centralised laboratory-only network and an optimised POC DRT network. A one-way sensitivity analysis of key user inputs was conducted. RESULTS: In a centralised laboratory-only network, the mean TAT ranged from 8.52 to 8.55 working days, and the system could not handle a demand proportion exceeding 1.6%. In contrast, the mean TAT for POC DRT network ranged from 1.13 to 2.11 working days, with demand proportion up to 4.8%. Sensitivity analyses showed that expanding DRT hubs reduces mean TAT substantially while increasing the processing rate at national labs had minimal effect. For instance, doubling the current service rate at national labs reduced the mean TAT by only 0.0%-1.9% in various tested scenarios, whereas doubling the current service rate at DRT hubs reduced the mean TAT by 37.5%-49.8%. In addition, faster batching modes and transportation were important factors influencing the mean TAT. CONCLUSIONS: Our model offers decision-makers an informed framework for improving the DRT system using POC in Kenya. POC DRT networks substantially reduce mean TAT and can handle a higher demand proportion than a centralised laboratory-only network, especially for children and pregnant women living with HIV, where there is an immediate push to use DRT results for patient case management.

Evaluation of sensitivity and specificity of Kato-Katz and circulating cathodic antigen in terms of Schistosoma japonicum using latent class analysis.

Schistosoma japonicum is endemic in the Philippines. The Kato-Katz (KK) method was used to diagnose S. japonicum. This is impractical, particularly when the sample size is limited. Knowledge on point-of-care circulating cathodic antigen (CCA) test performance for S. japonicum is limited. Determining the sensitivity and specificity of new diagnostics is difficult when the gold standard test is less effective or absent. Latent class analysis (LCA) can address some limitations. A total of 484 children and 572 adults from the Philippines were screened for S. japonicum. We performed Bayesian LCA to estimate the infection prevalence, sensitivity and specificity of each test by stratifying them into two age groups. Observed prevalence assessed by KK was 50.2% and 31.8%, and by CCA was 89.9% and 66.8%, respectively. Using Bayesian LCA, among children, the sensitivity and specificity of CCA were 94.8% (88.7-99.4) and 21.5% (10.5-36.1) while those of KK were 66.0% (54.2-83.3) and 78.1% (61.1-91.3). Among adults, the sensitivity and specificity of CCA were 86.4% (76.6-96.9) and 62.8% (49.1-81.1) while those of KK were 43.6% (35.1-53.9) and 85.5% (75.8-94.6). Overall, CCA was more sensitive than KK, regardless of the age group at diagnosis, as KK was more specific. KK and CCA have different diagnostic performance, which should inform their use in the planning and implementation of S. japonicum control programs.

Simulation Improves Emergency Medicine Residents' Clinical Performance of Aorta Point-of-Care Ultrasound.

Purpose: Using point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) to diagnose abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an essential skill in emergency medicine (EM). While simulation-based POCUS education is commonly used, the translation to performance in the emergency department (ED) is unknown. We investigated whether adding case-based simulation to an EM residency curriculum was associated with changes in the quantity and quality of aorta POCUS performed by residents in the ED. Methods: A case-based simulation was introduced to resident didactics at our academic, Level I trauma center. A case of undifferentiated abdominal pain was presented, which required examination of an ultrasound phantom to diagnose an AAA, with a hands-on didactic. We compared the quantity, quality, and descriptive analyses of aorta POCUS performed in the ED during the four months before and after the simulation. Results: For participating residents (17/32), there was an 86% increase in total studies and an 80% increase in clinical studies. On an opportunity-adjusted, per-resident basis, there was no significant difference in median total scans per 100 shifts (4.4 [interquartile range (IQR) 0-15.8 vs 8.3 [IQR] 3.3-23.6, P = 0.21) or average total quality scores (3.2 ± 0.6 vs 3.2 ± 0.5, P = 0.92). The total number of limited or inadequate studies decreased (43% vs 19%, P = 0.02), and the proportion of scans submitted by interns increased (7% vs 54%, P = < .001). Conclusion: After simulation training, aorta POCUS was performed more frequently, and ED interns contributed a higher proportion of scans. While there was no improvement in quantity or quality scores on a per-resident basis, there were significantly fewer incomplete or limited scans.

Ultrasound Performed by Emergency Physicians for Deep Vein Thrombosis: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) performed by emergency physicians (EP) has emerged as an effective alternative to radiology department ultrasounds for the diagnosis of lower extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Systematic reviews suggested good sensitivity and specificity overall for EP-performed POCUS for DVT diagnosis, yet high levels of heterogeneity were reported. Methods: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to provide the most up-to-date estimates of the accuracy of EP-performed POCUS for diagnosis of DVT and to explore potential correlations with test performance. We performed systematic searches in MEDLINE and Embase for original, primary data articles from January 2012-June 2021 comparing the efficacy of POCUS performed by EPs to the local standard. Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 for individual articles are reported. We obtained summary measures of sensitivity, specificity, and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) using bivariate mixed-effects regression models. We performed meta-regression, subgroup, and sensitivity analyses as planned in the protocol CRD42021268799 submitted to PROSPERO. Results: Fifteen publications fit the inclusion criteria, totaling 2,511 examinations. Pooled sensitivity and specificity were 90% (95% CI 82%-95%) and 95% (CI 91%-97%), respectively. Subgroup analyses by EP experience found significantly better accuracy for exams performed by EP specialists (93%, CI 88%-97%) vs trainees (77%, CI 60%-94%). Specificity for EP specialists (97%, CI 94%-99%) was higher than for trainees (87%, CI 76%-99%, P = 0.01). Three-point compression ultrasound (CUS) was more sensitive than two-point CUS but was only statistically significant when limited to EP specialists (92% vs 88%, P = 0.07, and 95% vs 88%, P = 0.02, respectively). Conclusion: Point-of-care ultrasound performed by emergency physicians is sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of suspected DVT when performed by trained attending EPs. Three-point compression ultrasound examination may be more sensitive than two-point CUS.

[Evaluation of a new portable analyzer, HemoCue® Hb801, for hemoglobin point-of-care testing]. / Évaluation d'un nouvel automate de biologie délocalisée pour doser l'hémoglobine, l'HemoCue® Hb801.

The use of portable hemoglobin measuring devices is widespread. In this context, the company HemoCue® has put on the market a new device, the Hb801. It uses a whole blood absorbance measurement method and not the azidmethemoglobin measurement method used by HemoCue's older devices. We evaluated this new equipment on EDTA venous blood. Hb801 is lightweight, compact, requires a volume of 10 µL of blood and renders its result in less than a second. The repeatability and intermediate precision are close to the values expected according to Ricos, with coefficients of variation respectively for a low level of hemoglobin: 2.1% and 1.9%, for an average level: 0.8% and 1.5% and for a high level: 1.5% and 1.3%. Comparison to our laboratory reference method (XN-10 Sysmex®) and HemoCue® Hb201+ was performed on 96 samples. Bias (SD) found were: XN-10: +0.42 g/dL (0.17), HemoCue® Hb201+: +0.17 g/dL (0.41). Clinically acceptable performance (within ± 1 g/dL of reference hemoglobin) was high: 93.8%. In the end, this device seems to us to be suitable for hemoglobin point-of-care testing.

Implementation of point-of-care platforms for rapid detection of porcine circovirus type 2.

BACKGROUND: Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) infection is ubiquitous around the world. Diagnosis of the porcine circovirus-associated disease requires clinic-pathological elements together with the quantification of viral loads. Furthermore, given pig farms in regions lacking access to sufficient laboratory equipment, developing diagnostic devices with high accuracy, accessibility, and affordability is a necessity. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate two newly developed diagnostic tools that may satisfy these criteria. METHODS: We collected 250 specimens, including 170 PCV2-positive and 80 PCV2-negative samples. The standard diagnosis and cycle threshold (Ct) values were determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Then, two point-of-care (POC) diagnostic platforms, convective polymerase chain reaction (cPCR, qualitative assay: positive or negative results are shown) and EZtargex (quantitative assay: Ct values are shown), were examined and analyzed. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of cPCR were 88.23% and 100%, respectively; the sensitivity and specificity of EZtargex were 87.65% and 100%, respectively. These assays also showed excellent concordance compared with the qPCR assay (κ = 0.828 for cPCR and κ = 0.820 for EZtargex). The statistical analysis showed a great diagnostic power of the EZtargex assay to discriminate between samples with different levels of positivity. CONCLUSIONS: The two point-of-care diagnostic platforms are accurate, rapid, convenient and require little training for PCV2 diagnosis. These POC platforms can discriminate viral loads to predict the clinical status of the animals. The current study provided evidence that these diagnostics were applicable with high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of PCV2 infection in the field.

A rapid and sensitive fluorescent chromatography with cloud system for MPXV point-of-care diagnosis.

Monkeypox (mpox) is spreading around the world, and its rapid diagnosis is of great significance. In the present study, a rapid and sensitive fluorescent chromatography assisted with cloud system was developed for point-of-care diagnosis of mpox. To screen high affinity antibodies, nanoparticle antigen AaLS-A29 was generated by conjugating A29 onto scaffold AaLS. Immunization with AaLS-A29 induced significantly higher antibody titers and monoclonal antibodies were generated with the immunized mice. A pair of monoclonal antibodies, MXV 14 and MXV 15, were selected for fluorescence chromatography development. The Time-Resolved Fluorescence Immunoassay (TRFIA) was used to develop the chromatography assay. After optimization of the label and concentration of antibodies, a sensitive TRFIA assay with detection limit of 20 pg/mL and good repeatability was developed. The detection of the surrogate Vaccinia virus (VACA) strain Tian Tan showed that the TRFIA assay was more sensitive than the SYBR green I based quantitative PCR. In real samples, the detection result of this assay were highly consistent with the judgement of Quantitative Real-Time PCR (Concordance Rate = 90.48%) as well as the clinical diagnosis (Kappa Value = 0.844, P < 0.001). By combining the portable detection and online cloud system, the detection results could be uploaded and shared, making this detection system an ideal system for point-of-care diagnosis of mpox both in field laboratory and outbreak investigation.

Lab on a bead with oscillatory centrifugal microfluidics for fast and complete mixing enables fast and accurate biomedical assays.

Rapid mixing and precise timing are key for accurate biomedical assay measurement, particularly when the result is determined as the rate of a reaction: for example rapid immunoassay in which the amount of captured target is kinetically determined; determination of the concentration of an enzyme or enzyme substrate; or as the final stage in any procedure that involves a capture reagent when an enzyme reaction is used as the indicator. Rapid mixing and precise timing are however difficult to achieve in point-of-care devices designed for small sample volumes and fast time to result. By using centrifugal microfluidics and transposing the reaction surface from a chamber to a single mm-scale bead we demonstrate an elegant and easily manufacturable solution. Reagents (which may be, for example, an enzyme, enzyme substrate, antibody or antigen) are immobilised on the surface of a single small bead (typically 1-2 mm in diameter) contained in a cylindrical reaction chamber subjected to periodically changing rotational accelerations which promote both mixing and uniform mass-transfer to the bead surface. The gradient of Euler force across the chamber resulting from rotational acceleration of the disc, dΩdisc/dt, drives circulation of fluid in the chamber. Oscillation of Euler force by oscillation of rotational acceleration with period, T, less than that of the hydrodynamic relaxation time of the fluid, folds the fluid streamlines. Movement of the bead in response to the fluid and the changing rotational acceleration provides a dynamically changing chamber shape, further folding and expanding the fluid. Bead rotation and translation driven by fluid flow and disc motion give uniformity of reaction over the surface. Critical parameters for mixing and reaction uniformity are the ratio of chamber radius to bead radius, rchamber/rbead, and the product Trchamber(dΩdisc/dt), of oscillation period and Euler force gradient across the fluid. We illustrate application of the concept using the reaction of horse radish peroxidase (HRP) immobilised on the bead surface with its substrate tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in solution. Acceleration from rest to break a hydrophobic valve provided precise timing for TMB contact with the bead. Solution uniformity from reaction on the surface of the bead in volumes 20-50 uL was obtained in times of 2.5 s or less. Accurate measurement of the amount of surface-bound HRP by model fitting to the measured kinetics of colour development at 10 s intervals is demonstrated.

Neurovascular ultrasound in acute stroke: emergency department applications.

Acute stroke is one of the most common neurologic emergencies encountered by emergency clinicians. While point of care ultrasound has been a core part of emergency clinicians' training and practice for many years, the use of specialized ultrasound modalities in the care of acute ischemic stroke has not been as widely adopted. This review discusses the use of ultrasound in acute stroke, with a focus on applications of interest to emergency clinicians. Transcranial Doppler, carotid Doppler, microembolic signal detection, transthoracic echocardiography, evaluation for collateral circulation and optic nerve sheath diameter measurement are discussed in a case-based format, with a focus on practical applications for emergency clinicians.

Point-of-care ultrasound in pediatric anesthesiology: considerations for training and credentialing.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To discuss considerations surrounding the use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in pediatric anesthesiology. RECENT FINDINGS: POCUS is an indispensable tool in various medical specialties, including pediatric anesthesiology. Credentialing for POCUS should be considered to ensure that practitioners are able to acquire images, interpret them correctly, and use ultrasound to guide procedures safely and effectively. In the absence of formal guidelines for anesthesiology, current practice and oversight varies by institution. In this review, we will explore the significance of POCUS in pediatric anesthesiology, discuss credentialing, and compare the specific requirements and challenges currently associated with using POCUS in pediatric anesthesia. SUMMARY: Point-of-care ultrasound is being utilized by the pediatric anesthesiologist and has the potential to improve patient assessment, procedure guidance, and decision-making. Guidelines increase standardization and quality assurance procedures help maintain high-quality data. Credentialing standards for POCUS in pediatric anesthesiology are essential to ensure that practitioners have the necessary skills and knowledge to use this technology effectively and safely. Currently, there are no national pediatric POCUS guidelines to base credentialing processes on for pediatric anesthesia practices. Further work directed at establishing pediatric-specific curriculum goals and competency standards are needed to train current and future pediatric anesthesia providers and increase overall acceptance of POCUS use.

Point-of-care C-reactive protein and Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra for tuberculosis screening and diagnosis in unselected antiretroviral therapy initiators: a prospective, cross-sectional, diagnostic accuracy study.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis, a major cause of death in people living with HIV, remains challenging to diagnose. Diagnostic accuracy data are scarce for promising triage and confirmatory tests such as C-reactive protein (CRP), sputum and urine Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (Xpert Ultra), and urine Determine TB LAM Ag (a lateral flow lipoarabinomannan [LF-LAM] test), without symptom selection. We evaluated novel triage and confirmatory tests in ambulatory people with HIV initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART). METHODS: 897 ART-initiators were recruited irrespective of symptoms and sputum induction offered. For triage (n=800), we evaluated point-of-care blood-based CRP testing, compared with the WHO-recommended four-symptom screen (W4SS). For sputum-based confirmatory testing (n=787), we evaluated Xpert Ultra versus Xpert MTB/RIF (Xpert). For urine-based confirmatory testing (n=732), we evaluated Xpert Ultra and LF-LAM. We used a sputum culture reference standard. FINDINGS: 463 (52%) of 897 participants were female. The areas under the receiver operator characteristic curves for CRP was 0·78 (95% CI 0·73-0·83) and for number of W4SS symptoms was 0·70 (0·64-0·75). CRP (≥10 mg/L) had similar sensitivity to W4SS (77% [95% CI 68-85; 80/104] vs 77% [68-85; 80/104]; p>0·99] but higher specificity (64% [61-68; 445/696] vs 48% [45-52; 334/696]; p<0·0001]; reducing unnecessary confirmatory testing by 138 (95% CI 117-160) per 1000 people and number-needed-to-test from 6·91 (95% CI 6·25-7·81) to 4·87 (4·41-5·51). Sputum samples with Xpert Ultra, which required induction in 49 (31%) of 158 of people (95% CI 24-39), had higher sensitivity than Xpert (71% [95% CI 61-80; 74/104] vs 56% [46-66; 58/104]; p<0·0001). Of the people with one or more confirmatory sputum or urine test results that were positive, the proportion detected by Xpert Ultra increased from 45% (26-64) to 66% (46-82) with induction. Programmatically done haemoglobin, triage test combinations, and urine tests showed comparatively worse results. INTERPRETATION: CRP is a more specific triage test than W4SS in those initiating ART. Sputum induction improves diagnostic yield. Sputum samples with Xpert Ultra is a more accurate confirmatory test than with Xpert. FUNDING: South African Medical Research Council, EDCTP2, US National Institutes of Health-National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

RNA-Based Sensor Systems for Affordable Diagnostics in the Age of Pandemics.

In the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, the significance of point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tools has become increasingly vital, driven by the need for quick and precise virus identification. RNA-based sensors, particularly toehold sensors, have emerged as promising candidates for POC detection systems due to their selectivity and sensitivity. Toehold sensors operate by employing an RNA switch that changes the conformation when it binds to a target RNA molecule, resulting in a detectable signal. This review focuses on the development and deployment of RNA-based sensors for POC viral RNA detection with a particular emphasis on toehold sensors. The benefits and limits of toehold sensors are explored, and obstacles and future directions for improving their performance within POC detection systems are presented. The use of RNA-based sensors as a technology for rapid and sensitive detection of viral RNA holds great potential for effectively managing (dealing/coping) with present and future pandemics in resource-constrained settings.

Bridging the gap: understanding Belgian anesthesiologists' proficiency and training demands in gastric point-of-care ultrasound, a case-based survey.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary aspiration syndrome remains a significant complication of general anesthesia, particularly in unfasted patients. Gastric point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) allows for both qualitative and quantitative assessment of gastric content, providing a safe and reliable method to assess gastric emptying and reduce the risk of aspiration during general anesthesia. METHODS: The survey was distributed to Belgian certified anesthesiologists and trainees between April 2020 and June 2021. Participants received a simulated clinical case of a patient at risk of gastric aspiration, created and approved by two certified anesthesiologists trained to perform gastric POCUS. The objectives of this study were to assess recognition of high-risk clinical situations for gastric aspiration, awareness of the gastric POCUS and its indications, and knowledge of the technical and practical conditions of the procedure among respondents trained in the technique. Furthermore, the study assessed the state of training in gastric POCUS, the desire for education, and the practical availability of ultrasound equipment. The survey used conditional branching to ensure unbiased responses to POCUS-related questions. It included multiple-choice questions, quantitative variables, and 5-point Likert scales. The margin of error was calculated using Daniel's formula, corrected for a finite population. RESULTS: The survey was conducted among 323 anesthesiologists. Only 20.8% (27) recognized the risk of a full stomach based on the patient's history. Anesthesiologists who recognized the indication for gastric POCUS and were trained in the procedure demonstrated good recall of the practical conditions for performing the procedure and interpreting the results. Only 13.08% (31) of all respondents had received training in gastric POCUS, while 72.57% (172) expressed interest in future training. Furthermore, 80.17% (190) of participants had access to adequate ultrasound equipment and 78.90% (187) supported teaching gastric POCUS to anesthesia trainees. CONCLUSIONS: This survey offers insight into the epidemiology, clinical recognition, knowledge, and utilization of gastric POCUS among Belgian anesthesia professionals. The results emphasize the significance of proper equipment and training to ensure the safe and effective implementation of gastric POCUS in anesthesia practice. Additional efforts should focus on improving training and promoting the integration of gastric POCUS into daily clinical practice.

Point of Care Ultrasound Bladder Volume Calculation on the Acute Medical Unit.

Nursing staff, healthcare assistants (HCAs) and other healthcare professionals on the Acute Medical Unit (AMU) at Royal Berkshire Hospital (RBH) were taught a Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) skill during a twenty minute session. Practitioners learned how to take bladder volume measurements with the Butterfly iQ, a portable ultrasound device which provides a visually-aided method of volume measurement. A Likert scale was used to measure the confidence that staff had in performing volume measurements with the AMU automated scanners, and with the semi-automated Butterfly iQ. After the teaching session, confidence reported by practitioners in using the semi-automated visual method was significantly higher than confidence reported in using the automated non-visual scanners (t < 0.001). Minimal time and expense was required to teach practitioners how to perform this skill. Training nurses in POCUS for bladder visualisation and bladder volume calculation is easy and practicable.

Point-of-care ultrasound for the diagnosis of an atypical small bowel obstruction in a cannabis user: a case report.

This case report describes an atypical small bowel obstruction in a 71- years old cannabis user and how point-of-care of ultrasound (PoCUS) helped to its management by further orientating the physician toward the bowel obstruction etiology, namely intussusception. Intussusception is the invagination of an intestinal segment into the adjacent segment. The acute clinical presentation of intussusception often has non-specific symptoms, and the diagnosis can be challenging. While the most common etiology is neoplasm, intussusception also occurs in bowel motility disorder such as after cannabis use. Although this case report illustrates intussusception PoCUS findings, these should nevertheless be integrated into the clinical picture and CT-scan should remain the gold standard complementary examination in case of a suspected bowel obstruction.

GFAP point-of-care measurement for prehospital diagnosis of intracranial hemorrhage in acute coma.

BACKGROUND: Prehospital triage and treatment of patients with acute coma is challenging for rescue services, as the underlying pathological conditions are highly heterogenous. Recently, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) has been identified as a biomarker of intracranial hemorrhage. The aim of this prospective study was to test whether prehospital GFAP measurements on a point-of-care device have the potential to rapidly differentiate intracranial hemorrhage from other causes of acute coma. METHODS: This study was conducted at the RKH Klinikum Ludwigsburg, a tertiary care hospital in the northern vicinity of Stuttgart, Germany. Patients who were admitted to the emergency department with the prehospital diagnosis of acute coma (Glasgow Coma Scale scores between 3 and 8) were enrolled prospectively. Blood samples were collected in the prehospital phase. Plasma GFAP measurements were performed on the i-STAT Alinity® (Abbott) device (duration of analysis 15 min) shortly after hospital admission. RESULTS: 143 patients were enrolled (mean age 65 ± 20 years, 42.7% female). GFAP plasma concentrations were strongly elevated in patients with intracranial hemorrhage (n = 51) compared to all other coma etiologies (3352 pg/mL [IQR 613-10001] vs. 43 pg/mL [IQR 29-91.25], p < 0.001). When using an optimal cut-off value of 101 pg/mL, sensitivity for identifying intracranial hemorrhage was 94.1% (specificity 78.9%, positive predictive value 71.6%, negative predictive value 95.9%). In-hospital mortality risk was associated with prehospital GFAP values. CONCLUSION: Increased GFAP plasma concentrations in patients with acute coma identify intracranial hemorrhage with high diagnostic accuracy. Prehospital GFAP measurements on a point-of-care platform allow rapid stratification according to the underlying cause of coma by rescue services. This could have major impact on triage and management of these critically ill patients.

Point-of-care ultrasound for diagnosing extrapulmonary TB.

Despite the high morbidity and mortality globally, standard microbiologic diagnosis for TB requires laboratory infrastructure inaccessible in many resource-limited areas and may be insufficient for identifying extrapulmonary disease. Point-of-care (POC) ultrasound facilitates visualization of extrapulmonary manifestations, permitting laboratory-independent diagnosis, but its diagnostic utility remains unclear.We conducted a systematic review of five online databases for studies reporting ultrasound findings among cases with and without extrapulmonary TB (EPTB). A minimum of two authors independently screened and reviewed each article, and extracted data elements of interest. We conducted a series of univariate meta-analyses using a random-effects model to calculate the pooled effect estimate and 95% confidence interval (CI) for each outcome: sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV).Of 279 articles identified, 6 were included. There were 699 cases of EPTB among 1,633 participants. The pooled sensitivity estimate was 0.72 (95% CI 0.57-0.88). The pooled specificity estimate was 0.77 (95% CI 0.63-0.90). The pooled PPV and NPV estimates were respectively 0.67 (95% CI 0.47-0.87) and 0.85 (95% CI 0.77-0.93).POC ultrasound showed modest test characteristics for diagnosing EPTB, which may constitute an improvement over some currently available diagnostics..

A smartphone-based diagnostic analyzer for point-of-care milk somatic cell counting.

BACKGROUND: Mastitis, a pervasive and detrimental disease in dairy farming, poses a significant challenge to the global dairy industry. Monitoring the milk somatic cell count (SCC) is vital for assessing the incidence of mastitis and the quality of raw cow's milk. However, existing SCC detection methods typically require large-scale instruments and specialized operators, limiting their application in resource-constrained settings such as dairy farms and small-scale labs. To address these limitations, this study introduces a novel, smartphone-based, on-site SCC testing method that leverages smartphone capabilities for milk somatic cell identification and enumeration, offering a portable and user-friendly testing platform. RESULTS: The central findings of our study demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for counting milk somatic cells. Its on-site applicability, facilitated by the microfluidic chip, optical system, and smartphone integration, heralds a paradigm shift in point-of-care testing (POCT) for dairy farms and smaller laboratories. This approach bypasses complex processing and presents a user-friendly solution for real-time SCC monitoring in resource-limited settings. This device boasts several unique features: small size, low cost (<$1,000 total manufacturing cost and <$1 per test), and high accuracy. Remarkably, it delivers test results within just 2 min. Actual-sample testing confirmed its consistency with results from the commercial Bentley FTS/FCM cytometer, affirming the reliability of the proposed method. Overall, these results underscore the potential for transformative change in dairy farm management and laboratory testing practices. SIGNIFICANCE: In summary, this study concludes that the proposed smartphone-based method significantly contributes to the accessibility and ease of SCC testing in resource-limited environments. By fostering the use of POCT technology in food safety control, particularly in the dairy industry, this innovative approach has the potential to revolutionize the monitoring and management of mastitis, ultimately benefiting the global dairy sector.