Point-of-Care Diagnostics in Equine Practice

Area of Science:

• Veterinary diagnostics
• Equine medicine
• Point-of-care testing technology

Background:

• Point-of-care testing (POCT) involves portable diagnostic tools for immediate patient-side use.
• Advances in diagnostic technology have expanded the availability of POCT assays for equine practitioners.
• POCT provides rapid results, aiding in timely diagnosis and targeted patient care for horses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and discuss the range of commercially available point-of-care testing (POCT) assays for equine practitioners.
• To highlight the benefits of POCT in equine practice, including faster results and improved clinical decision-making.

Main Methods:

• Review of commercially available equine point-of-care testing devices and assays.
• Discussion of the types of analytes measurable by current equine POCT technologies.

Main Results:

• A growing number of POCT assays are accessible for equine veterinary diagnostics.
• POCT devices, often handheld, can perform qualitative or quantitative analysis of various analytes.
• Current equine POCT includes critical care analyzers, with recent expansions into hematology and immunology.

Conclusions:

• Point-of-care testing (POCT) enhances equine diagnostics by providing rapid, actionable results.
• The increasing availability and sophistication of equine POCT contribute to improved clinical outcomes and patient management.
• Equine practitioners can leverage POCT for more efficient and effective diagnosis and treatment strategies.