Point-of-Care : Educational Guides

Learning

Learning and increasing awareness


Good healthcare comes from access to clear advice based on good research. At EKF Diagnostics we want to share our knowledge to help increase awareness of the causes and treatments for common complaints like anemia and diabetes, as well as pass on training tips for athletes using lactate as a tool to improve their performance.

In the links below you will also find information on diverse topics such as measuring creamatocrit in breast milk and understanding diabetic ketosis - make sure you check out our Youtube videos featuring experts discussing symptoms and patient pathways.

We hope you enjoy reading the guides we have prepared. We will add more guides from time to time so please keep an eye on our website and social media feeds for new entries into our library.

 

Educational guides


Molecular transport media


Molecular Transport Media and Viral Transport Media

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen a significant increase in the uptake of molecular testing. The demand for quicker turnaround times from sample to result, and for improved performance has forced the issue meaning that in some cases molecular testing has been adopted in favour of traditional microbiology testing methods.

The growth in the demand for molecular testing has seen a corresponding surge in demand for sample transport media - usually referred to as Universal Transport Media (UTM) or Viral Transport Medica (VTM).

 

Read more about the differences between Molecular Transport Media and Viral Transport Media.

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Anemia and capillary sampling guides


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Anemia and hemoglobin testing

Anemia is a condition in which the number of healthy red blood cells or the availability of hemoglobin falls below the body’s physiologic needs.

Hemoglobin testing or hematocrit testing are the main blood tests used to diagnose anemia. Anemia can be caused by poor nutrition or various diseases.

Read more about anemia and hemoglobin testing.

 

Interesting facts about Anemia

  • Anemia is a condition in which the number of healthy red blood cells or the availability of hemoglobin falls below the body’s physiologic needs
  • Hemoglobin testing or hematocrit testing are the main blood tests used to diagnose anemia
  • Timely treatment can restore personal health and raise national productivity levels by as much as 20% in developing countries
Did you
know?
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Anemia is the most common disorder of the blood, affecting about 25% of the global population.

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Capillary sampling guide

Variability in reported hemoglobin values can be caused by a number of physiological factors like dehydration, smoking behavior or altitude, and it can be significantly affected by pre-analytical errors arising due to incorrect capillary blood sampling technique. Detailed below are some of the most common sources of error that occur that healthcare workers should be aware of.

Read more about the importance of capillary blood sampling.

EKF hemoglobin analyzers make anemia screening easier, more affordable and more accessible than ever before.

Diabetes care and ketosis guides


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Diabetes and HbA1c testing

Diabetes Mellitus is a lifelong metabolic condition in which the body becomes resistant to the effect of insulin or does not produce enough of this hormone to process glucose.

There are multiple options for the diagnosis of diabetes, most of which involve measuring the level of glycemic control a person exhibits i.e. how much glucose is present in their blood. 

Read more about diabetes and HbA1c testing.

Did you know? global-expenditure-diabetes
10% of global health expenditure is spent on diabetes.2

There are currently 415 million people living with diabetes

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A guide to ketosis and B-HB

The detection of ketosis is important in several clinical conditions. The most important is the detection of potentially fatal ketoacidosis in diabetics. 

These fats are metabolized in the liver and this metabolism produces chemical byproducts called ketones. The buildup of ketones can prove fatal a condition known as acidosis.

Read more about ketosis and B-HB.

Did you know? 4.2-million-diabetics
In 2019 4.2 million people died from diabetes related complications & 10% of global health expenditure is spent on diabetes.

Maternal and new born's health care


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Measuring creamatocrit and increasing fat in breast milk

Creamatocrit helps explain to mothers and providers how much more nutritious breast milk is.

Validating the caloric benefits of breast milk allows clinicians to utilize breast milk confidently as the nutrition of choice, helping ensure that the youngest lives get the healthiest possible start.

Read more about increasing fat in breast milk.

Sport Performance


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Lactate measurement for athletes

During high-intensity exercise, the body produces lactate faster than it can be metabolised and removed from the blood stream. This leads to accumulation of lactate in the bloodstream.

Read more about lactate measurement for athletes.

Other lactate measurement uses


 

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Read our guide about lactate in medical applications

 

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Read our guide about lactate in veterinary applications

Lactate can also be used in sepsis diagnosis and aid in monitoring post-surgical morbidity, post-cardiac event morbidity and in assessing patients recovering from pneumonia