Advances in Point‐Of‐Care Testing for Emergency Response, Infectious Diseases, and Critical Care — Novel Technologies, Practice Standards, and Improved Outcomes

Abstract

We present strategies for point‐of‐care testing ( POCT ) that pave the way for diagnostic portals from homes to intensive care. Now well recognized worldwide by the public and professionals alike, POCT has become ubiquitous. Its scope encompasses mobile field rescue, emergency rooms, and hospital intensive care, where rapid test results help stabilize critically ill patients. We introduce novel technologies and insights for effective application of POCT, including identifying infectious pathogens. We chronicle the discovery of the clinical significance of ionized calcium, the ‘fifth electrolyte,’ an obligatory whole‐blood analyte. We tabulate outcomes associated with whole‐blood analysis, which has progressed significantly across the globe. Progressively endemic, coronavirus disease 2019 is catapulting POCT to new heights. This striking expansion calls for more practical know‐how among laboratorians and public health officials, careful planning of POC strategies in healthcare small‐world networks, and support by national guidelines and policies, especially in limited‐resource settings. Technical, clinical, and cultural advances predict exponential growth as the world embraces faster, smaller, and smarter connected diagnostic decision making where it counts the most, at points of need. This POC paradigm shift means learning novel principles and appreciating new standards for POC devices used on ambulances for emergency rescue, so we start there.