critical care medicine
Monitoring and Testing the Critical Care Patient
Blood Tests
Although frequent blood draws can destroy veins, cause pain, and lead to anemia, ICU patients typically have routine daily blood tests to help detect problems early. Placement of a Central Venous Catheterization or Point-of-care testing uses miniaturized, highly automated devices to do certain blood tests at the patient’s bedside or unit (particularly ICU, emergency department, and operating room). Commonly available tests include blood chemistries, glucose, arterial blood gases (ABGs), CBC, cardiac markers, and coagulation tests. Many are done in<2 minutes and require<0.5 mL blood. 