Point-of-care testing: a cardiologist's view

The rationale for point-of-care testing is that more rapid provision of biochemical test results performed at the patients bedside will equate with better outcomes. For this to be the case, a number of conditions must be satisfied, and in particular the choice of appropriate markers, an adequate turnaround time (TAT), and an accurate measurement. Point-of-care testing of cardiac markers was found to reduce TAT from 72 (central laboratory) to 20 min thus allowing to decrease total hospital stay. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.