Newham University Hospital NHS Trust has installed an ABX Pentra 400 analyser, to meet the need for an easy-to-use, compact, reliable and accurate point-of-care (POC) clinical chemistry system.
The Emergency Department at Newham is investing in point-of-care testing (POCT) by placing a clinical chemistry analyser in its own 'hot lab', fully supported by the Trust's Pathology Department.
This, in conjunction with other POCT technology, has helped the Emergency Medicine team attain and maintain 98 per cent achievement of the four-hour emergency treatment standard.
The ABX Pentra 400 provides 'stat' chemistry screening results for sodium, potassium, urea and glucose, as well as key add-on tests such as amylase and creatinine.
'The simplicity of the ABX Pentra 400 and its accompanying protocols is crucial, since it is operated outside the laboratory by health care assistants,' said Visha Patel, biomedical scientist responsible for POCT in this project.
'Blood sample tubes are barcode-labelled and centrifuged prior to being placed directly onto the analyser when a green light indicates it is OK to do so.' By reading the sample tube barcode, the ABX Pentra 400 knows exactly which tests are required, as it interfaces directly with the hospital EPR system and Pathology LIMS.
Once analysis is completed, sample tubes are removed, placed into bags and sent via an airtube system directly to the laboratory.
Barcode labels and IT integration mean no paperwork is required to accompany them, since the laboratory can simply swipe them on arrival for final validation.
The Trust has noted significant financial changes too.
'Since the installation of the ABX Pentra 400, we have been able to demonstrate a 50 per cent reduction in monthly running costs for our POC clinical chemistry,' said Natalie Firminger, emergency medicine business manager.
