Point-of-Care

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is responsible for feline leukemia syndrome in domestic cats. The prevention and control of disease caused by FeLV are primarily based on vaccination and identification and isolation of infected subjects. Antigen diagnostic methods, which are the most widely used in clinical practices, can be associated to molecular tests to characterize the FeLV detected. In this study, a quantitative SYBR Green Real-Time PCR (qPCR) assay was used to detect FeLV proviral DNA in blood samples from antigen positive cats referred to a veterinary teaching hospital in Northern Italy in 2018-2021...

BACKGROUND: Rapid and accurate detection of viral respiratory infections is important for infection control measures. This study compares the analytical and clinical performance of the Xpert® Xpress CoV-2/Flu/RSV plus test ("Xpert", Cepheid) and the STANDARD™ M10 Flu/RSV/SARS-CoV-2 test ("M10", SD Biosensor). Both tests are quadruplex RT-PCR assays for rapid diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2, influenza A/B and RSV. STUDY DESIGN: Analytical sensitivities were determined by limit of detection for SARS-CoV-2, influenza A, influenza B and RSV, respectively...

BACKGROUND: Melioidosis is an infectious disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei. Septicemic melioidosis patients have a high mortality rate within 48 hours. OBJECTIVE: To develop a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) combined with a lateral flow dipstick (LFD) assay for detection of B. pseudomallei in blood samples. METHODS: The PCR with wcbG gene primers and a PCR-LFD test were developed. The specificity and sensitivity were determined using the B...

Metformin (MET) and sitagliptin (STG) are widely used as the first-line and long-term oral hypoglycemic agents for managing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the current lack of convenient and rapid measurement methods poses a challenge for individualized management. This study developed a point-of-care (POC) assay method utilizing a miniature mass spectrometer, enabling rapid and accurate quantification of MET and STG concentrations in human blood and urine. By combining the miniature mass spectrometer with paper spray ionization, this method simplifies the process into three to four steps, requires minimal amounts of bodily fluids (50 μL of blood and 2 μL of urine), and is able to obtain quantification results within approximately 2 min...

OBJECTIVES: To survey the World Wide Web for critical limits/critical values, assess changes in quantitative low/high thresholds since 1990-93, streamline urgent notification practices, and promote global accessibility. METHODS: We identified Web-posted lists of critical limits/values at university hospitals. We compared 2023 to 1990-93 archived notification thresholds. RESULTS: We found critical notification lists for 26 university hospitals...

BACKGROUND: Human records describe pulmonary edema as a life-threatening complication of electric shock. Successful management requires prompt recognition and intensive care. However, in companion animals, electrocutions are rarely reported, even though domestic environments are full of electrical devices and there is always the possibility of accidental injury. Therefore, it is important for veterinarians to know more about this condition in order to achieve successful patient outcomes...

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we compared the performance of a self-administered point-of-care test (POCT) for anal human papillomavirus (HPV) screening with laboratory gold-standard test in pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) users and evaluated its feasibility. METHODS: We enrolled PrEP users from a local community-based PrEP service. Each participant self-collected an anal swab to test anal HPV with a PCR POCT capable of detecting 14 high-risk HPV genotypes. Anonymous questionnaires on self-sampling feasibility were completed...

Sensitive detection and point-of-care test of bacterial pathogens is of great significance in safeguarding the public health worldwide. Inspired by the characteristics of horseradish peroxidase (HRP), we synthesized a hybrid nanoflower with peroxidase-like activity via a three-component self-assembled strategy. Interestingly, the prepared nanozyme not only could act as an alternative to HRP for colorimetric biosensing, but also function as a unique signal probe that could be recognized by a pregnancy test strip...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Access to evidence-based pharmacotherapy (EBP) is crucial in effectively managing allergies. Allergy conditions, including rhinitis, asthma, and dermatitis, require treatment guided by scientific evidence. However, healthcare professionals face challenges in accessing relevant information. RECENT FINDINGS: The dynamic nature of allergy research, coupled with limited resources and variability in practice guidelines, complicates decision-making...

BACKGROUND: Bioresorbable patient-specific additive-manufactured bone grafts, meshes, and plates are emerging as a promising alternative that can overcome the challenges associated with conventional off-the-shelf implants. The fabrication of patient-specific implants (PSIs) directly at the point-of-care (POC), such as hospitals, clinics, and surgical centers, allows for more flexible, faster, and more efficient processes, reducing the need for outsourcing to external manufacturers. We want to emphasize the potential advantages of producing bioresorbable polymer implants for cranio-maxillofacial surgery at the POC by highlighting its surgical applications, benefits, and limitations...

Paper-based sensors, often referred to as paper-based analytical devices (PADs), stand as a transformative technology in the field of analytical chemistry. They offer an affordable, versatile, and accessible solution for diverse analyte detection. These sensors harness the unique properties of paper substrates to provide a cost-effective and adaptable platform for rapid analyte detection, spanning chemical species, biomolecules, and pathogens. This review highlights the key attributes that make paper-based sensors an attractive choice for analyte detection...

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of point-of-care Doppler ultrasound measurements of carotid corrected flow time and its changes induced by volume expansion to predict fluid responsiveness in patients undergoing robot-assisted gynecological surgery. METHODS: In this prospective study, carotid corrected flow time was measured using Doppler images of the common carotid artery before and after volume expansion. The stroke volume index at each time point was recorded using noninvasive cardiac output monitoring with MostCare...

Introduction A computed tomography (CT) scan and point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) are commonly employed for diagnosing small bowel obstructions (SBOs). Prior studies demonstrated that POCUS has 90-95% sensitivity and specificity compared with CT scanning, which is the gold standard. Unlike other imaging modalities (in which the ordering and performing clinician are not the same), POCUS-performing/interpreting sonologists must recognize the risk of confirmation bias in the POCUS application. Per Bayesian analysis, the likelihood of a diagnosis being true following a diagnostic test is based on the ordering clinician's pre-test probability and the test characteristics (sensitivity and specificity, from which positive and negative likelihood ratios can be calculated)...

INTRODUCTION: Although the use of peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) has many advantages, misplacement can lead to serious life-threatening complications such as pericardial effusion (PCE) and cardiac tamponade (CT). This report aims to describe four cases of CT resulting from misplaced PICC, which were successfully managed. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of neonates who required PICC insertion and had PCE leading to CT in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at The Children's Hospital 2, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, during the year 2022...

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...

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, there are currently no corresponding specific medications. Lung, right heart, and diaphragm protective therapy is the cornerstone of ARDS management. Non-invasive, radiation-free, and transportation-free point-of-care ultrasound enables for real-time dynamic evaluation of the lung, right heart, and diaphragm. It is an essential tool for the diagnosis, monitoring, and clinical decision-making of ARDS patients...

BACKGROUND: α-Synuclein (αS) aggregation is the main neurological hallmark of a group of neurodegenerative disorders, collectively referred to as synucleinopathies, of which Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most prevalent. αS oligomers are elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of PD patients, standing as a biomarker for disease diagnosis. However, methods for early PD detection are still lacking. We have recently identified the amphipathic 22-residue peptide PSMα3 as a high-affinity binder of αS toxic oligomers...

BACKGROUND: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a major worldwide health problem. Nowadays, many methods have been developed for quantitative detecting human immunodeficiency virus DNA (HIV-DNA), such as fluorescence and colorimetry. However, these methods still have the disadvantages of being expensive and requiring professional technicians. Early diagnosis of pathogens is increasingly dependent on portable instruments and simple point-of-care testing (POCT). Therefore, it is meaningful and necessary to develop portable and cheap methods for detecting disease markers...

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...

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for rapid and sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2. Here, we report an ultrasensitive SARS-CoV-2 immunosensor by integration of an AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) and anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein antibody. The AlGaN/GaN HEMT immunosensor has demonstrated the capability to detect SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins at an impressively low concentration of 10-22  M. The sensor was also applied to pseudoviruses and SARS-CoV-2 ΔN virions that display the Spike proteins with a single virion particle sensitivity...