BACKGROUND

Point-of-care (POC) testing is defined as a pathology or laboratory test that is performed at the site of clinical interaction allowing immediate decision regarding treatment.1 Because POC tests are performed in a non-laboratory setting, they are designed to be as simple as possible and produce reliable results when used by non-laboratory health-care professionals.2 In this sense, POC testing is ideal for the En-Route Critical Care (ERCC) environment, however, austere ERCC conditions can affect the POC test results. One of most important environmental factors that medics must always be cognizant of are extremes in ambient temperature; exposure to extreme temperatures can render results inaccurate.

Critical Care Air Transport Teams (CCATTs) use the i-STAT (Abbott Point of Care, Princeton, NJ, USA) as their POC device (Figure 1).3 CCATT must therefore understand how to use the equipment, be able to troubleshoot and calibrate the analyzer, and also provide quality assurance with controls and simulators (the function of controls and simulators will be defined below). In addition, teams must be aware of the specific drugs and environmental conditions that alter test accuracy. Finally, teams are also responsible for protecting POC testing equipment from the elements.

The i-STAT analyzer can measure multiple different lab values: cardiac troponin I, electrolytes, blood gas, urea, creatinine, glucose, ionized calcium, and international normalized ratio (INR).

Test results from the i-STAT are generally available in 10 minutes or less. The results displayed on the screen depend on the type of cartridge inserted into the analyzer