06/02/2021

Diagnosis Made Easy With Point-of-Care (POC) Testing

Near-patient testing (also known as point-of-care testing) can be defined as a medical diagnostic testing taken at the time of patient consultation with instant availability of results to make immediate and informed decisions about patient care.

This is usually in an effort to diagnose and treat a patient in the fastest manner possible. Traditionally, diagnostic testing has occurred in a complex laboratory. Many manufacturers and healthcare practitioners have been pushing for decades to decentralize some of this testing, and bring the testing and the diagnoses closer to the patient. This is all in an effort to improve care and patient outcomes.

Efficiency in any workplace is vital—inefficiency costs money, wastes time, can affect quality, and can be very frustrating for employees and customers alike. In the healthcare environment however, inefficiency can negatively affect patients’ lives by delaying diagnosis and treatment. Point-of-care testing (POCT) can provide a faster turnaround time than testing performed in the central laboratory, which leads to cost/time savings as well as improving outcomes. With high quality point-of-care diagnostic kits, performance of a test in the immediate vicinity to a patient can provide rapid results outside the conventional laboratory environment.

There are three different aspects to POC testing which include; Diagnosis, Monitoring and Screening.

Where is POCT Done?

Point of Care testing can be at the bedside, or near the patient. The most general way to think about POCT is that it’s any testing performed in a healthcare setting that’s not done in the lab.

This implies that POCT can be performed in the following settings:

Hospitals
Urgent Care Clinics
General Practitioner’s Offices
Retail Clinics

The Benefits

When properly utilized, POCT has been shown to yield measurable improvements in patient care, workflow efficiency and even provide significant financial benefits. Not only does it make life easier for patients, who will not have to travel to another location for lab tests.

Improved Healthcare Outcomes

The quicker the diagnosis, the better the healthcare outcomes. That being said, there is a balance between quick diagnoses and accurate, reliable results. It’s critical that healthcare professionals understand the importance of sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and precision.Research suggests that diagnostic delay deters the focus from Point-of-Care (POC) testing. Existing rapid tests are not prompt enough to ensure shorter turn-around times and faster treatment decisions. To realize the full potential and success of POC programs, manufacturers and key decision-makers need to overcome ground realities and barriers.

POC testing ensures rapid turn-around times, allow for quick diagnosis and referrals or treatment decisions within the same patient encounter. Only will a POC test be regarded as efficient when it is innovative enough to manage infectious diseases, shorten diagnostic delay and treatment initiation.

Other benefits Include:

Efficiency – Tests performed at the point of care allow for more efficient workflow processes.
Speed – Rapid test results enable expeditious decision-making and treatment
Expanded capabilities – Testing is possible at a wide range of sites, including underserved populations, rural areas and disaster zones
Stability and handling – Reduced possibility of sample deterioration. In some cases, a reduction in the specimen volume required is an advantage for patients requiring frequent testing.
Shorter Process – Fewer steps are necessary, including no transportation of samples and easier communication of results
Portability – Portable devices means fewer space requirements and a flexibility to move the testing to either the physicians lab or the exam room,

At Microbiology East Africa we focus on providing point-of-care (POC) devices and equipment in Kenya and East Africa to ensure ensure that diagnostic results are relayed within minutes for an actionable treatment decision. We can provide you needful resources, including how to organize and run your lab efficiently with Point of Care Testing Equipment.

04/20/2021

Choosing the Right Chemistry Analyzer

The chemistry analyzer plays an important role in clinical laboratories. The device is used to determine concentrations of analytes, provide specific hematology values, and to assay certain therapeutic drugs, thereby helping to diagnose kidney disease, HIV, hepatitis, STDs, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and much more. The importance of this instrument and the role it plays in the healthcare scenario is validated by market surveys.

The key to successful and safe laboratory testing depends on choosing the right analyzer. Choice should be based on factors such as volume of testing, level of automation, and throughput capabilities. Modular solutions can be conveniently scaled to suit changing laboratory requirements. Here are some tips to help you to choose the right chemistry analyzer for your clinical lab:

Choose a reputable brand
Check load capacity, ease of use, durability, and price
Ensure that the device can deliver accurate and consistent results in quick turnaround time
Ensure that design complies with industry rules and regulations
Check technical specifications to make sure that the instrument can meet your lab’s specific requirements
Check the safety features including closed tube sampling and aliquoting
Examine whether the product has facilities to execute STAT and routine immunoassays simultaneously
Check if the device has a built-in printer to print patient reports
Analyze productivity, capacity and workflow competence

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04/20/2021

Laboratory Maintenance Checklist 101

Microbiology East Africa is a leading supplier of Clinical and Medical Laboratory Equipment in Kenya. Having such facility and equipment calls for maintenance to ensure that experiments run effectively and without a hitch.

When it comes to Point of Care Testing, POCT proper maintenance will improve efficiency by reducing the turnaround time of results and minimal blood sample draws. This enhances patient satisfaction and reduces overall patient stay time.

Without a spotless lab in which to work, the risk of cross-contamination is likely making good housekeeping almost as important to your work as the study itself. And, the benefits of good lab maintenance don’t end there. Equipment is often one of the biggest outlays in a lab so taking adequate care of what you have (therefore preventing unnecessary re-purchases) is an added bonus.

If you know that you’ve been putting less time and consideration into lab maintenance than you should then take a look at our Lab Maintenance 101 checklist.

General Cleaning

Lab cleanliness is one of the easiest, most affordable and most obvious ways to keep your lab in great shape but it’s surprisingly more overlooked than you may think.

It’s advisable to:

Carry out a daily wipe down of all equipment exteriors
Carry out a weekly deep clean of all equipment
Carry out a regular deep clean of microscopes using a 70:30 mixture of ether and alcohol – this ensures that they are sufficiently clean to yield most accurate results
Consult the manual or lab manager on any specific processes for cleaning demanding equipment. Haematology machines, for example, typically require a 6 monthly check by an engineer..

Following these simple cleaning procedures will keep equipment in peak condition so that your lab runs without a hitch. Exposed surfaces should be wiped down on a daily basis, while it’s also a good idea to schedule in a deep clean once a week.

2. Calibration

Failure to regularly calibrate equipment can lead to a lack of accuracy with your data, an oversight which could end up bringing entire experiments to a halt. Additionally, proper calibration can also improve lab safety wherever hazardous chemicals are used. As a result, it’s imperative that the process is conducted on a consistent basis.

It’s advisable to:

Carry out an inventory of your equipment and decide which is most suitable for each item – from basic preventative maintenance to more advanced accuracy verification.
Regularly calibrate equipment for ongoing preventative maintenance that will keep your lab in optimal condition.

3. Repairs

From time to time, lab items will wear out and stop working. But, rather than immediately disposing of faulty equipment, take the time to see if parts could be replaced or items can be repaired instead.

You may be surprised by how likely it is that equipment can be updated and maintained instead of merely disposed of.

Particularly with larger items, repairing and replacing parts can be an effective way to increase lifespan and keep down costs. Due to the nature of the items, some parts will wear quicker than others but, when adequately managed, these can be replaced in time to prevent problems or burnout. Consider centrifuges, filtration systems and microscope lenses: each of these can be simply replaced without the need to dispose of the entire machine.

4. Refurbishment

For faulty equipment, repairing can be invaluable but if your items still work (just not as smoothly as before) refurbishment could hold the key. If you’re looking to refurbish older items of equipment, then consider carrying out the following process:

Take the entire piece of equipment apart
Fully clean each component
Polish components where necessary
Re-lubricate any moving parts
If parts are showing signs of wear and tear, consider replacing them at this preventative stage
Put the equipment back together

Quality Lab Equipment & Accessory Replacements

There will undoubtedly be times when no matter how well you’ve completed your daily cleans, or carried out regular calibration or even repaired and refurbished older items, you will need to purchase replacements.

Therefore, buying high-quality lab equipment from reputable suppliers such as Microbiology East Africa, usually offers enhanced durability, particularly for items of equipment that are used regularly.

When doing so consider the following:

High-quality lab equipment is often easier to find parts for
It’s usually a more straightforward process to clean and refurbish high-quality items
If you only intend to use the item for a short period of time or your budget is very tight, it could be worth looking into hiring good-quality equipment rather than purchasing the cheaper equivalents

101 Checklist

1. Clean all lab equipment

Before beginning a project, be sure to check the required equipment for their cleanliness. Upon finishing the project, equipment must be cleaned according to established standards.

2. Inventory the contents of refrigerators and freezers

It’s important to maintain an inventory of any items that require storage in refrigerators and freezers such as Clinical Chemistry Analyzers and Chemistry Reagents. Also include important information on the contents’ origin and expiration dates. Regular rotation makes inventory maintenance and timely disposal of expired items a lot easier.

3. Use the proper glass cleaning techniques

A lab washer-disinfectant that has hot-air drying capabilities will be able to take on routine glassware cleaning. Additionally, ensure your staff are up to speed on the different manual techniques and products for properly washing glassware items such as beakers, flasks, pipettes and funnels.

4. Broken glass disposal

Designate a rubbish bin for broken glass and materials with sharp edges and keep it in a location all staff can easily reach. Don’t allow the bin to reach capacity; when the bin is half-full, dispose of its contents.

5. Inspect emergency equipment

Schedule regular inspections of your lab’s fire safety and sprinkler systems. First aids kits should be kept in easily reachable areas, while fire extinguishers need to be regularly checked to ensure they’re fully charged and properly stored.

6. Clean up every day

It’s a good idea to keep a basic housekeeping checklist for the laboratory to remind staff of which duties need to be taken care of on a daily basis, such as clearing and cleaning countertops, sweeping floors and sanitizing the most common touchpoints of the lab.

7. Check personal protective equipment

The condition and quality of PPE before beginning any project must be maintained, so it’s essential to stress this. Have your staff regularly check eye and face protection, gloves, footwear and hearing conservation equipment for any wear and tear.

8. Cleaning handwashing stations

Handwashing sinks must be kept clean, while disinfectant soap dispensers and towels should be within easy reach. If the sink becomes clogged, then the issue must be immediately dealt with to reduce the risk of backup and contamination.

9. Maintain emergency stations

Maintain emergency eyewash and shower stations according to the given regulations and take the time to activate components in all stations several times a week to ensure proper operation. Arrange for regular station inspection by qualified technicians.

10. Clean all lab equipment

Before beginning a project, be sure to check the required equipment for their cleanliness. Upon finishing the project, equipment must be cleaned according to established standards.

11. Use the proper glass cleaning techniques

A lab washer-disinfectant that has hot-air drying capabilities will be able to take on routine glassware cleaning. Additionally, ensure your staff are up to speed on the different manual techniques and products for properly washing glassware items such as beakers, flasks, pipettes and funnels.

12. Broken glass disposal

Designate a rubbish bin for broken glass and materials with sharp edges and keep it in a location all staff can easily reach. Don’t allow the bin to reach capacity; when the bin is half-full, dispose of its contents.

13. Inspect emergency equipment

Schedule regular inspections of your lab’s fire safety and sprinkler systems. First aids kits should be kept in easily reachable areas, while fire extinguishers need to be regularly checked to ensure they’re fully charged and properly stored.

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