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Editor-in-chief
Maria Stella Graziani

Deputy Director
Martina Zaninotto

Associate Editors
Ferruccio Ceriotti
Davide Giavarina
Bruna Lo Sasso
Giampaolo Merlini
Martina Montagnana
Andrea Mosca
Paola Pezzati
Rossella Tomaiuolo
Matteo Vidali

EIC Assistant
Francesco Busardò

International Advisory Board Khosrow Adeli Canada
Sergio Bernardini Italy
Marcello Ciaccio Italy
Eleftherios Diamandis Canada
Philippe Gillery France
Kjell Grankvist Sweden
Hans Jacobs The Netherlands
Eric Kilpatrick UK
Magdalena Krintus Poland
Giuseppe Lippi Italy
Mario Plebani Italy
Sverre Sandberg Norway
Ana-Maria Simundic Croatia
Tommaso Trenti Italy
Cas Weykamp The Netherlands
Maria Willrich USA
Paul Yip Canada


Publisher
Biomedia srl
Via L. Temolo 4, 20126 Milano

Responsible Editor
Giuseppe Agosta

Editorial Secretary
Chiara Riva
Biomedia srl
Via L. Temolo 4, 20126 Milano
Tel. 0245498282
email: biochimica.clinica@sibioc.it

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ISSN print: 0393 – 0564
ISSN digital: 0392- 7091



BC: Articoli scritti da P. Carraro

Extra-analytical Point of Care Testing errors in the pandemic era
<p>Introduction: during the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic phase, the use of rapid diagnostic devices outside the laboratory has expanded enormously, creating great opportunities but also new risks. Methods: the present observational study evaluated the type and frequency of errors of the extra-analytical phases through an active search on all unclear or ambiguous cases. 252 241 rapid antigenic tests performed outside the laboratory in different health facilities over a 132-day period were considered. The requests, the patient demographics and the results were later entered manually onto the Laboratory Information System (LIS). Results: through a number of data checks and internal reports, 2 556 cases of errors in the pre-examination phase were recorded, with a relative frequency of 12,274 parts per million (ppm). The vast majority of errors were observed in this phase; these were due mainly to computer communication problems induced by human errors that made the loading of results or the issuing of the reports difficult. The remaining cases involving erroneous personal data or patient identification amounted to 16 (64 ppm), confirming the relative safety of this phase in decentralized analysis. The errors identified in the post-examination phase were 540, with a relative frequency of 2140 ppm. The assessment of the severity of the errors with Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) allowed us to identify in particular, the attribution of the report to the wrong person (20 ppm) and the manual transcription of an incorrect result (20 ppm). Discussion: this study contributes to the comprehension of the critical issues connected to the Point of Care Testing and made it possible to establish corrective actions: improving staff training, choice of instruments with reading devices and establishing direct computer connection for the entering of the requests and results to the LIS.</p>
Biochimica Clinica ; 46(2) 160-165
Contributi Scientifici - Scientific Papers
 
Principi per l’implementazione e la gestione del point-of-care-testing (POCT): indicazioni essenziali
Implementation and management of the point-of-care testing (POCT): essential indications
<p>In recent years, the field of medicine has considerably changed; an important, widespread trend is the reorganization of medical laboratories. These facilities made an effort to improve their efficiency through a process of consolidation and decentralization. In this context, Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) devices offer numerous advantages, but also pose a clinical risk, particularly in Italy, which is limited by its varied, often inadequate, regional regulations. Some examples are reported, representing scenarios of frequent or bothersome POCT use. This document outlines the SIBioC Working Group recommendations for the safe use of POCT instruments. It defines how these have been updated to the state of technologies and medical requirements. Particular attention has been paid to clinical governance, connectivity, the role of the laboratory director and staff, quality control, education, risk management and the role of the in vitro diagnostic companies. Most of the Italian medical practice is based on hospital experience, but the recent pandemic outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 forces us to re-think about the use of POCT in settings that are outside of the hospital such as local clinics, nursing homes and primary care facilities. These facilities will be the next important field of application for those indispensable tools. Networks of instruments, professionals and competence should be carefully tailored to meet local needs and specific clinical settings.</p>
Biochimica Clinica ; 45(3) 312-326
Documenti SIBioC - SIBioC Documents
 
Troponina cardiaca ad alta sensibilità: risultati preliminari di un confronto tra un nuovo strumento “point-of-care” e i più comuni analizzatori impiegati nei laboratori clinici
High sensitivity cardiac troponin: preliminary results of a new point-of-care analyzer compared with the analyzers routinely used in clinical laboratories
<p>Introduction: cardiac troponin concentration measured using a point-of-care testing (POCT) analyzer could accelerate the management of patients awaiting assessment for suspected acute coronary syndrome without persistent ST-segment elevation in the emergency department (ED).<br />Methods: we evaluated a new high sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) assay applied to the POCT PATHFAST&trade; (Gepa, Italia). The study of imprecision was carried out using commercial control materials and lithium-heparin plasma pools. The percentages of detectable hs-cTnI values between the Limit of Detection (LoD) and the 99th percentile as declared by the manufacturer were studied in a population of reference donors. The clinical diagnostic performance was evaluated in a population of patients presenting to the ED with chest pain (lithium-heparin plasma samples were collected at admission and 3 hours later), in comparison to the most common methods that measure hs-cTnI in clinical laboratories: Architect PLUS i2000SR, Dimension Vista, Advia Centaur XPT, UniCel DXI 800. Using the gender-specific 99thpercentile as declared from each manufacturer, the percentages of agreement and disagreement for the classification of hs-cTnI results were calculated as well as the Cohen&rsquo;s Kappa values.<br />Results: imprecision: concentration range (CV% range)=14.6-12227.3 ng/L (2.8-9.8%); % of hs-cTnI &gt;LoD and &lt;99th percentile in males and females were 30.0% and 18.5% respectively. The percentage ranges of agreement versus disagreement observed in the clinical study were 76.8-96.3% versus3.7-23.2% respectively, and the corresponding Cohen&rsquo;s Kappa values ranged from 0.532 to 0.864. The prevalence of discordant results was obtained on admission sample (range=59.1-83.3%).<br />Discussion: the observed analytical imprecision was satisfactory while the percentages of subjects with hs-cTnI&gt;LoD and &lt;99thpercentile were lower than those declared by the manufacturer because a limited number of subjects has been evaluated. The clinical performance has shown an overall satisfactory agreement with all the analytical platforms used.</p>
Biochimica Clinica ; 44(2) S059-S066
Contributi Scientifici - Scientific Papers
 
La fase pre-analitica dei campioni provenienti dal Pronto Soccorso: impatto della introduzione di un impianto di posta pneumatica nel miglioramento del tempo di risposta
Improving pre-analytical laboratory turnaround time for the emergency department: outcomes of a pneumatic tube system introduction
<p>Background: the pre-analytical phase of the stat tests requested by the Emergency Department (ED) has been rarelystudied in relation to the containment of the laboratory turnaround time (TAT).<br />Methods: through a pre-analytical workflow analysis in a large ED with &quot;Lean&quot; methodology, some improvementshave been activated, including the installation of a pneumatic tube system (PTS).<br />Results: significant improvement of TATs (23 minutes at 90th percentile) and also of length of stay (LOS) of EDpatients (53 minutes at 90th percentile) has been documented. The plasma concentrations of a number of analytesmeasured in samples transported manually and by PTS were very similar (lactic dehydrogenase excluded),demonstrating that PTS does not alter the integrity of the samples.<br />Conclusions: compared to manual transportation, the use of this PTS significantly reduced transport time and alsoimproved some pre-analytical flow phases within the ED. The system is suitable for the measurement of most of theanalytes commonly requested for ED patients.</p>
Biochimica Clinica ; 43(2) 150-155
Contributi Scientifici - Scientific Papers
 
Medicina di laboratorio e Medicina d’urgenza: un connubio indissolubile
Laboratory Medicine and Emergency Medicine: an essential partnership
<p>Laboratory Medicine and Emergency Medicine: an essential partnership. A better understanding of the pathophysiological bases of many pathologies, along with the considerable technological advances occurred over last few years, have allowed to broaden number and complexity of in vitro diagnostic tests. The emergency department is the clinical setting with the highest risk of forensic disputes, and this explains the inclination that many emergency physicians have towards defensive medicine. Disproportionate request of laboratory tests, with poor awareness on the impact of inappropriateness, is one of the leading negative aftermath of this attitude. The predictable consequences are economic, but also encompass the risk of generating direct damage to the patients, especially in the presence of false positive test results. Since diagnostic appropriateness represents an essential element for patient safety and for sustainability of the National Healthcare System, the Italian Society of Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Molecular Biology (SIBioC) and the Academy of Emergency Medicine and Care (AcEMC) have organized a joint meeting entitled &quot;Laboratory Medicine and Emergency Medicine: an essential partnership&quot;, of which this document is a summary. The issues that have been discussed represent major diagnostic dilemmas faced by emergency physicians, and for which the contribution of laboratory medicine may be decisive. These include acute systemic infections, acute abdominal pain, acute chest pain, head injury and acute bleeding. Since timely transmission of test results is an additional critical element for the clinical decision making in emergency settings, the document will also include considerations on sample transportation from the emergency room to the laboratory.</p>
Biochimica Clinica ; 42(4) 335-342
Documenti - Documents
 
Esami di laboratorio in Pronto Soccorso: una proposta di consenso SIBioC - Medicina di Laboratorio e Academy of Emergency Medicine and Care
Laboratory tests in the Emergency Department: a consensus document by SIBioC-Medicina di Laboratorio and the Academy of Emergency Medicine and Care
<p>Laboratory diagnostics in the emergency setting encompasses the identification of appropriate testing according to specific acute conditions. Since the pathway of ordering tests in the Italian Emergency Departments (EDs) is rather heterogeneous, SIBioC-Medicina di Laboratorio and the Academy of Emergency Medicine and Care designed a survey aimed to generate consensus pertaining to appropriate laboratory tests in most frequent acute conditions. A questionnaire including a panel of laboratory tests was administered to 8 representative members of each of the two societies, who were asked to provide a score between 1 and 3 for the various tests, where a score of 1 entailed &ldquo;highly recommended&rdquo;, 2 &ldquo;recommended in specific conditions&rdquo; and 3 identified &ldquo;highly discouraged&rdquo; tests. The results of the questionnaire are shown as mean (&plusmn;SD) of individual responses, thus allowing to define a scale of priority comprised between &ldquo;highly recommended&rdquo; and &ldquo;highly discouraged&rdquo;. Overall, 24 tests were classified as &ldquo;highly recommended&rdquo;, whereas 6 were &ldquo;highly discouraged&rdquo;. The remaining 16 tests were classified as &ldquo;somehow recommended&rdquo; or &ldquo;somehow discouraged&rdquo;. In the expectations of the two societies, this document may represent a first step towards harmonizing the laboratory test ordering in Italian EDs.</p>
Biochimica Clinica ; 41(2) 183-188
Documenti SIBioC - SIBioC Documents
 
Diagnostica urgente di parassitemia malarica: un ulteriore contributo
Malaria diagnosis in the Emergency Department: a further contribution
A. Giacomin  |  M. Miolo  |  H. Afshar  |  E. Epifani  |  M. Baldon  |  M. Chiesa  |  P. Carraro  | 
Biochimica Clinica ; 36(3) 209-210
Lettere all'Editore - Letters to the Editor
 
Esami di laboratorio raccomandati in alcune tipiche situazioni di Pronto Soccorso
Recommendations for appropriate laboratory tests in emergency department typical conditions
P. Carraro  | 
Biochimica Clinica ; 35(3) 207
DOCUMENTI SIBioC - DOCUMENTI SIBioC
 
Raccomandazioni per l'implementazione e la gestione del "point-of-care testing" (POCT)
Recommendations for the implementation and management of the point-of-care testing (POCT)
Biochimica Clinica ; 35(3) 242
DOCUMENTI SIBioC - DOCUMENTI SIBioC