Inflammation markers in point-of-care testing (POCT)

Area of Science:

• Medical diagnostics
• Clinical pathology
• Biomarker research

Background:

• Inflammation is a critical medical process with local or systemic, acute or chronic manifestations.
• Rapid and reliable diagnosis of bacterial or viral infections is essential to prevent sepsis, which has a high mortality rate.
• Laboratory markers are vital for detecting, differentiating, and monitoring inflammatory conditions, especially acute infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the clinical utility of current inflammation markers in routine and point-of-care testing.
• To compare the diagnostic value of leukocyte count, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and interleukins (IL) 6 and 8.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of these markers in diagnosing inflammation and infections across different age groups.

Main Methods:

• Review of current clinical applications of inflammation markers.
• Comparative analysis of diagnostic performance of leukocyte count, CRP, PCT, IL-6, and IL-8.
• Assessment of marker utility in routine laboratory and point-of-care settings.

Main Results:

• Leukocyte count (particularly neutrophil count), CRP, and PCT are well-suited for the rapid diagnosis of inflammation and infections in both children and adults.
• Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Interleukin-8 (IL-8) measurements are more appropriate for detecting sepsis specifically in neonates.
• The study compares the diagnostic value across four groups of laboratory markers.

Conclusions:

• Leukocyte count, CRP, and PCT are valuable tools for supporting the rapid diagnosis of inflammation and infections in pediatric and adult populations.
• IL-6 and IL-8 show particular utility in the early detection of sepsis in neonates.
• The choice of inflammation marker depends on the clinical context and patient population for optimal diagnostic support.