Tag: Point of care testing

Over 30% of antibiotics are prescribed unnecessarily, contributing to the global crisis of antimicrobial resistance. To combat this, healthcare providers often rely on specific diagnostic procedures, known as antibiotic susceptibility testing, to determine what test is done before prescribing antibiotics. This ensures the medication is effective and appropriate for the infection, preventing the overuse of broad-spectrum drugs.

Heparin is a widely used anticoagulant medication that significantly prolongs the time it takes for blood to clot. This effect is precisely what the Activated Clotting Time (ACT) test measures, making the ACT an essential tool for monitoring high-dose heparin therapy during critical procedures like cardiopulmonary bypass and cardiac catheterization.