Abstract
Microalbumin is a basic biochemical test that is widely used at present. Owing to the concept of point-of-care testing (POCT), there are tools available for analysis of microalbumin. Here, the author performs a brief assessment on weight–turnaround time properties for available POCT for determination of microalbumin in Thailand.
Keywords:
INTRODUCTION
Point-of-care testing (POCT) is the new concept in laboratory medicine. It is presently accepted as a useful diagnostic tool.Citation1 This can help quicken the time used for laboratory results.Citation1,Citation2 There are many new analyzers in laboratory medicine that use the POCT principle. One of the most widely used group of POCT analyzers is the POCT analyzers for diabetes mellitus (DM).Citation1 First, the POCT analyzer for blood glucose is produced and accepted as a pioneer beta version of POCT analyzer.Citation1 At present, there are other POCT analyzer tools that can be used in diabetic medicine. An important tool is the microalbumin POCT analyzer.Citation3,Citation4
Basically, microalbumin is a basic biochemical parameter that is widely used at present. The microalbumin is a very low level of albumin in urine that cannot be determined by old classical technique. Determination of microalbumin is useful for the detection of renal glomerular pathology at the early reversible stage.Citation5,Citation6 The microalbumin can be seen in diabetic nephropathy, hypertension-induced nephropathy as well as many other diseases. In the present day, the POCT microalbumin analyzer is the new useful tool that can help shorten the waiting time of the patients for the laboratory result. This can help fasten the management decision of the case.Citation3,Citation4
In this specific article, the author assesses on the available POCT microalbumin analyzers in Thailand. Based on the basic concept that a good POCT analyzer has to be easy to carry for usage at bed site and distanced setting and should provide fast result. The author assesses on the weight–turnaround time properties of available POTC microalbumin analyzers in Thailand. This is useful data for implication for using in distanced site
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study is designed as a descriptive study. The author collected the data on the available microalbumin POCT analyzers in Thailand with the special help of a main POCT company in Thailand, Connect Diagnostics Thailand. For further assessment, the basic effort–utility analysis is applied. A principle of property per utility analysis was used. The utility in this work was defined as the weight of the analyzer, which is the actual effect that the practitioner has to carry for using in the real distanced size. The utility in this work was defined as the turnaround time, which is the main concept for any POCT analyzer.
RESULTS
According to the literature searching, complete data on three available POCT analyzers in Thailand were derived. From further assessment, the identified effort and utility for each analyzer is shown in . The turnaround time per unit weight is shown in .
TABLE 1. Weight and turnaround time of available microalbumin POCT analyzers in Thailand
TABLE 2. Effort per utility analysis
DISCUSSION
Although microalbumin has been used in medicine for a long time, the introduction on POCT analyzer for microalbumin determination was recently done. In Thailand, the tool has only been used for a few years. According to the preventive nephrology concept, early detection of the nephropathy is favorable.Citation7,Citation8 It is better to detect such disorder that is still reversible, and the use of microalbumin screening is accepted for its usefulness.Citation7,Citation8 In the past, determination for microalbumin is very hard and time-consuming process. Sometimes it is necessary to wait for the laboratory result up to a week. With development and introduction of POCT analyzer for microalbumin determination, this problem can be resolved.
The present use of POCT analyzer for microalbumin determination becomes a new alternative for early detection of the problem. This can be very useful in far distanced areas where a standard laboratory has never reached.Citation9 The small POCT analyzer can be carried by the practitioner in the screening team to detect the problem among people in rural distanced area. Finding whether a POCT analyzer is the best tool is the present question leading to the assessment in this report. Basically, the tool for this purpose must provide good results in a short turnaround time, and the effect to carry the tool into the distanced area must be minimal. An effort–utility model is drawn and used for assessment in this work.
According to the analysis, the turnaround time per unit weight of the iChroma (BodiTechMed, Korea), which is the lightest POCT analyzer, was approximately six times higher than the two available analyzers. This analyzer seems to be inappropriate for real usage in the distanced area compared to the other analyzers Siemen DCA2000+ (Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics, USA) and Siemens DCA Vantage (Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics, USA).
Declaration of interest: The author is a scientific consultant for Connect Diagnostics Thailand who support literature searching in this work.
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