Point-of-care testing (POCT) refers to pathology testing performed in a clinical setting at the time of patient consultation, generating a rapid test result that enables informed and timely clinical action to be taken on patient care. It offers patients greater convenience and access to health services and helps to improve clinical outcomes. POCT also provides innovative solutions for the detection and management of chronic, acute and infectious diseases, in settings including family practices, Indigenous medical services, community health facilities, rural and remote areas and in developing countries, where health-care services are often geographically isolated from the nearest pathology laboratory. A Practical Guide to Global Point-of-Care Testing shows health professionals how to set up and manage POCT services under a quality-assured, sustainable, clinically and culturally effective framework, as well as understand the wide global scope and clinical applications of POCT. The book is divided into three major themes: the management of POCT services, a global perspective on the clinical use of POCT, and POCT for specific clinical settings. Chapters within each theme are written by experts and explore wide-ranging topics such as selecting and evaluating devices, POCT for diabetes, coagulation disorders, HIV, malaria and Ebola, and the use of POCT for disaster management and in extreme environments. Figures are included throughout to illustrate the concepts, principles and practice of POCT. Written for a broad range of practicing health professionals from the fields of medical science, health science, nursing, medicine, paramedic science, Indigenous health, public health, pharmacy, aged care and sports medicine, A Practical Guide to Global Point-of-Care Testing will also benefit university students studying these health-related disciplines.

Technology is playing an increasing role in the lives of the elderly. One of the most prevalent developments for the aging population is the use of technological innovations for intervention and treatment of individuals with mental impairments. The Handbook of Research on Innovations in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia offers empirical research and theoretical analyses on the cognitive impairment of the aging. Featuring studies in gerotechnology, this book is an essential resource for researchers, students, and practitioners in the field of geriatrics who are interested in the emerging research, clinical practices, therapy, and technological innovations concerning the development and treatment of dementia.

This book has been produced based on original research findings. The levels of natriuretic peptides have a direct relation with severity of left ventricular dilatation and thus with severity of heart failure which is otherwise assessed by echocardiography. The objective of this research was to assess the level of NT-ProBNP in patients with different grades of heart failure and compare it with Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction obtained on echocardiography. brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), a biologically active peptide, has become a potential diagnostic aid to identify patients with elevated ventricular filling pressure who are likely to exhibit signs and symptoms of heart failure. It is released from cardiac myocytes in response to increased stretch resulting from cardiac dilatation or hypertrophy as occurs in heart failure. BNP is cleaved from proBNP alongwith the hormonally inactive peptide NT-ProBNP. BNP acts to reduce the adverse stimulus of stretch by causing both arterial and veno-dilatation and reduction in blood volume through natriuresis, and suppression of secretion of renin and aldosterone. NT-ProBNP is biologically inactive and its measurement has an advantage over BNP due to its longer half life and wider dynamic range. Elevation of BNP and NTproBNP indicates left ventricular systolic dysfunction or diastolic dysfunction associated with elevated wall stress, or myocardial hypertrophy. Postgraduate Medical Complex, Lahore, Pakistan & Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Malaysia.

Biophotonic diagnostics/biomedical spectroscopy can revolutionise the medical environment by providing a responsive and objective diagnostic environment. This book aims to explain the fundamentals of the physical techniques used combined with the particular requirements of analysing medical/clinical samples as a resource for any interested party. In addition, it will show the potential of this field for the future of medical science and act as a driver for translation across many different biological problems/questions.

Of the injuries inflicted on physically abused children, head injuries are, in many cases, among the most damaging and potentially lethal. First responders and medical practitioners encountering children with head injuries may need to take quick and decisive measures to ensure a child's safety and, in the case of child death investigation, will need to recognize a variety of head injuries in order to identify or to rule out abusive trauma. This third volume of a new and ongoing series on child abuse provides professionals in medicine and law enforcement with more than 600 full-color photos and accompanying case studies representing a variety of both abusive and unintentional head injuries in children, as well as photographic studies of conditions mimicking abusive head trauma. Compact and comprehensive, this new title is certain to be an invaluable resource for any professionals investigating head injuries in children.

In the investigation of child abuse, consistent investigative protocol and clear, thorough documentation of facts and findings are essential to ensuring justice for victims, both for those who survive and for those who do not. In order to achieve the best possible results in such cases, multidisciplinary investigative teams of first responders, law enforcement, and medical practitioners should be well prepared for the process of investigation and documentation as they work in tandem toward a just end for every case of abuse. This new pocket atlas, part of an ongoing series on child abuse, offers nearly 500 full-color photos detailing proper approaches to crime scene investigation, physical and postmortem examinations, and photodocumentation, as well as a section on radiology and common fractures in cases of child maltreatment. Readers in medicine, law enforcement, and any other readers involved with child abuse and death investigations will enjoy the benefit of a compact and accessible guide to investigation and documentation.

This new pocket atlas, part 5 of an ongoing series on child abuse, is designed specifically for professionals involved in the investigation of child death, both intentional and unintentional. Readers in law enforcement, medicine, and other readers professionally involved in child death investigation will find this convenient resource essential to their work in the field. Over 600 full-color crime scene photos, reenactments, and photos taken in postmortem examinations and corresponding case studies written by expert investigators illustrate a variety of abusive and accidental causes of death, including neglect, burning, drowning, natural causes, and shaken baby syndrome. This text is a vital tool for any and all members of the child fatality review team, who will benefit both from its comprehensive content and from its convenient and accessible design.

Sexual abuse of children is an especially delicate matter, and each reported case should be treated with exacting care. Accurate identification and appropriate response to symptoms of sexual maltreatment in children is essential to resilient, long-term recovery for survivors. Therefore, it is incumbent upon those professionals who care for and represent the interests of survivors to recognize cases of childhood sexual abuse and to respond expediently, in the best interest of the survivors. This new pocket atlas, the second addition to an ongoing series on child abuse, will support medical practitioners and other affiliated sexual assault response providers in identifying and interpreting the physical signs and symptoms of sexual abuse in children. With nearly 400 full-color exam photos and corresponding case studies, as well as detailed refreshers on anogenital anatomy, exam equipment, and typical findings, readers in medicine, law enforcement, and social service will all benefit from this compact photographic reference and guide.

The development of fuzzy expert systems has provided new opportunities for problem solving amidst uncertainties. The medical field, in particular, has benefitted tremendously from advancing fuzzy system technologies. Fuzzy Expert Systems for Disease Diagnosis highlights the latest research and developments in fuzzy rule-based methods used in the detection of medical complications and illness. Offering emerging solutions and practical applications, this timely publication is designed for use by researchers, academicians, and students, as well as practitioners in the medical field.

Skin injuries are among the most common, and, certainly, the most visible, symptoms of physical abuse in children. In some cases, these injuries may leave lasting marks on the bodies of the abused3/4enduring tokens of the pain inflicted upon them. Because professionals working with children will, at times, encounter such injuries, it is vital they be able to recognize abusive burns, bruises, and other skin injuries in order to differentiate them from accidental injuries and to respond appropriately when encountered. This new pocket atlas, the first of an ongoing series on child maltreatment, includes 600 full-color photographs of skin injuries in children, with diagnostic case studies written by attending medical professionals. It is expertly designed by and for first responders, medical practitioners, and social service professionals who routinely work with children. Any readers who encounter, or may encounter, cases of child abuse in the course of their work will enjoy the benefit of a pocket-sized photographic reference to better inform and support the identification of abusive skin injuries in children.

Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma, Volume 2: Medical Mimics provides in-depth guidelines for the diagnosis of childhood head injuries resembling abusive trauma. This concise pocket guide covers differential diagnoses that may be confused with abusive head trauma, including birth trauma, metabolic disorders, autoimmune conditions, oncologic mimics, and infectious diseases. The guide serves as a crucial reference for medical and legal investigations of possible cases of abusive head trauma to ensure that no possibility is ignored and that children receive appropriate care for their specific circumstance. In cases of abuse, this volume will serve as a guideline for ruling out alternative possibilities and commencing the trial and treatment of child abuse cases. This guide is supplemented by full-color, high-quality radiologic images and photos taken in physical examinations. These photos serve as an illustrative point of reference for investigators.

Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma Pocket Atlas, Volume 1: Traumatic Injuries offers complete guidelines for identifying and responding to pediatric abusive head trauma, all in a portable format. Written in mostly non-technical language and conveniently sized, this guide can easily be referenced at any point during the identification or response process. This complete overview of abusive head trauma includes comprehensive information on common presentation and possible outcomes of abusive head trauma. It also details the many different kinds of injuries that may result from abusive head trauma, including extracranial injuries and scalp trauma, intracranial injuries with and without associated bleeding, and fractures. This pocket guide is supplemented with more than 150 radiologic images, offering a perfect point of reference for identifying the various kinds of injuries one may face in investigating abusive head trauma. This atlas also provides readers with concrete analyses of a variety of traumatic head injuries in children. The comprehensive nature of Pediatric Head Trauma Pocket Atlas: Traumatic Injuries makes it an ideal resource for medical, social work, and law enforcement professionals in need of a quick, comprehensive field reference on abusive head trauma.

In cases of sexual assault, it is important that investigators and care providers be able to respond quickly and appropriately in examining survivors, not only to ensure their health and safety but also to preserve any physical evidence left by the perpetrator. In such cases, a convenient visual reference can provide valuable support to investigators in making a timely and accurate assessment. Physical Examinations in Sexual Assault Pocket Atlas, Vol. 1: Assault Histories includes over 500 full-color examination photos demonstrating both common and unusual findings in cases of sexual assault across the life span. These photos include case studies written by attending medical practitioners, providing valuable insight into findings in each particular case. With a convenient visual reference at the ready, sexual assault response team members in medicine, law enforcement, and in any other field involved with the investigation of sexual assault will be well prepared to make fast and effective assessments in the field.

While examining suspected sexual assault survivors, it is important that investigators be able to accurately assess not only for those findings indicative of assault but also for normal or otherwise nonassaultive findings. The difference between normal and assaultive findings may be subtle, and assessing for normal findings in cases of suspected sexual violence may be challenging. That being the case, sexual assault investigators of every variety can benefit from a fast and accessible reference to support their evaluations. Physical Examinations in Sexual Assault Pocket Atlas, Volume 2: Nonassault Variants and Normal Findings provides a quick and convenient visual reference for normal and nonassault findings in suspected survivors. This light-weight and pocket-sized photographic atlas includes more than 500 full-color exam photographs and corresponding case studies written by expert investigators. Readers in medicine, law enforcement, and any organizations affiliated with sexual assault investigations will benefit from an extensive and accessible visual catalog of normal physical findings.

LIFE SAVERS is an examination and analysis book supported by a research study about how the use of medical diagnostic software, as a second opinion to a doctor's diagnosis, can save patients' lives. According to The Institute of Medicine, one of the biggest healthcare safety concerns today in the United States is medical misdiagnosis. Globally, misdiagnosis is responsible for millions of patient deaths every year. This book is written to address both the differences between, and the relative advantages of, physicians' and software's diagnostic decision-making processes in order to help key stakeholders in the healthcare industry achieve a better understanding of the current state of diagnostic science. The cost of healthcare is spiraling out of control all over the world, and any improvement in diagnostic efficiency would be a welcome development, especially when such improvements can lower the overall cost of healthcare. LIFE SAVERS, therefore, provides empirical insights into how technology, particularly the use of diagnostic software, can help improve healthcare management conditions and policies. The role of diagnostic software, as discussed in this book, is not a replacement system for the doctors, but rather a proposal of healthy partnerships between doctors, patients and software to complement their efforts to make quick and more accurate diagnoses of diseases in patients.

Gout has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, and is now the most common form of inflammatory arthritis. There have been significant developments in our understanding of the basic biology of gout over the last decade, and major advances in therapeutics have provided successful treatments for acute attacks and long-term prevention, offering clinicians effective treatment options for their patients. Part of the Oxford Rheumatology Library series, Gout provides an up-to-date summary of the pathogenesis, clinical features, and treatment approaches to this condition. The main focus is on key aspects of the biology of the disease, relevant diagnostic tools, and principles of gout management. Practical information is included to guide safe and effective prescribing of gout medications. Chapters on imaging and the future of gout management are also included. The three authors are experts in the basic biology and therapeutics of gout, and have summarized key practice points in a concise and readable manner, making this comprehensive yet practical volume an essential resource for all rheumatologists and general practitioners.

The story about Dionn Fields Inc. Its my goal to help woman fight Uterine Cancer. To honor my mother's memory (Theresita Fields) 10-16-48 - 10-26-12. And to raise funds for a new facilty in Atlanta near the Cancer Center of America.