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How advances in point-of-care testing have improved veterinary patient care
Abstract
Access to in-house diagnostic equipment is essential to modern veterinary practice. Point-of-care testing is performed at, or near, the site of patient care by specially trained, non-laboratory healthcare professionals. Point-of-care testing has a quick turnaround time, which can aid clinical decision making. This article looks at recent advances in point-of-care testing.
Point-of-care testing is performed at, or near, the site of patient care by specially trained, non-laboratory healthcare professionals (The Leeds Teaching Hospitals, 2024), rather than at the conventional reference laboratory (Flatland et al, 2013). In the veterinary field, point-of-care testing is also known as ‘animal-side’ or ‘flock-side testing’ (Velayudhan and Naikare, 2022), depending on the species.
Access to in-house diagnostic equipment is essential to modern veterinary practice. Historically, practices had access to a limited test portfolio, including urine dipsticks, packed cell volume, total protein and blood glucose measurements (Giger, 2010). Conversely, it is now commonplace to offer a vast array of point-of-care tests that aid patient care, decision-making and client peace of mind. Demand for point-of-care testing is increasing as a result of increased pet ownership and advances in test availability and reliability, and this market is predicted to grow by 11.5% between 2023 and 2030 (Grand View Research, 2023).
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