How point of care testing can improve the overall turnaround time to treat a ischemic stroke patient

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  • Scottish Government
  • The Accident and Emergency department at the New Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, were keen to explore quality improvement methodologies to improve their clinical pathway for patients admitted with a suspected acute ischemic stroke. For patients with a ‘life-threatening’ haemorrhage, it is vital for the clinician to ascertain whether the patient is on warfarin. A diagnostic laboratory test, called an ‘international normalised ratio’ (INR), indicates whether a warfarin reversal agent, called beriplex requires to be administrated to the patient. By introducing a Point of Care INR test (this is performed at the patient’s bedside), instead of using a centralised laboratory, could have the potential to reduce the overall turnaround time to deliver a INR result and facilitate prompt, earlier specialist treatment for a patient with an acute ischemic stroke.

    Publisher: NHS Education for Scotland (NES)

    Keywords:

  • Quality improvement
  • Type: Document

    Audience: General audience