Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026
05:35
A Point-of-Care Method with Integrated Decision Support Tool to Estimate Anemia at Population Level
Published on: January 19, 2024
Finger-Stick Hemoglobin Test in Geriatric Patients
Clinical Laboratory
|June 15, 2026
Summary
Finger-stick hemoglobin tests provide a convenient alternative for geriatric patients. This study measured fingertip blood hemoglobin levels, finding them comparable to traditional methods for this population.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Hematology
- Point-of-Care Testing
Background:
- Finger-stick hemoglobin tests offer a minimally invasive method for hematological analysis.
- Limited research exists on fingertip hemoglobin levels in geriatric patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure fingertip blood hemoglobin levels in the geriatric population.
- To assess the utility of point-of-care testing in elderly individuals.
Main Methods:
- Geriatric patients presenting to an emergency department were enrolled.
- Peripheral blood samples were collected via fingertip venipuncture.
- Fingertip hemoglobin results were compared to conventional methods.
Main Results:
- The study included 130 geriatric patients.
- Mean hemoglobin by conventional method: 11.68 ± 2.66 g/dL; by fingertip: 10.82 ± 3.01 g/dL.
- Significant differences observed in mean hemoglobin and hematocrit values between methods.
Conclusions:
- Finger-stick hemoglobin tests are a practical advancement in point-of-care diagnostics.
- These tests offer a viable alternative to traditional blood sampling in geriatric care.
Related Concept Videos
01:00Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Distribution
Drug distribution in the human body is influenced by several factors, including plasma protein concentration, body composition, blood flow, tissue-protein concentration, and tissue fluid pH. Among these, changes in plasma protein concentration and body composition due to aging significantly affect how drugs are distributed within the body. Specifically, aging is associated with a decrease in albumin levels by about 10% and an increase in α1-acid glycoprotein levels. These alterations are not...
01:18Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Excretion
In geriatric patients, renal physiology undergoes significant changes, including diminished renal blood flow and a lower glomerular filtration rate (GFR), leading to alterations in medication clearance. Drugs such as aminoglycoside antibiotics, lithium, and digoxin, which rely on glomerular filtration for removal from the body, particularly impact pharmacokinetics. These drugs tend to have slower clearance rates in older adults, necessitating careful dosage considerations.Evaluation of renal...
01:15Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients
Elderly individuals encompass a diverse population with varying degrees of age-related physiological changes. Defining the elderly presents challenges, as the geriatric population is often arbitrarily categorized as individuals older than 65. However, many individuals in this group lead active and healthy lives, with an increasing number surpassing 85 years and falling into the older elderly category. Physiological changes associated with aging impact performance capacity and homeostatic...
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...
01:22Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Absorption
As individuals age, their body's physiology evolves, affecting drug pharmacokinetics. The most apparent changes occur in the gastrointestinal tract, where an increase in gastric pH, a delay in gastric emptying, and a reduction in gastrointestinal motility are observed. Remarkably, these changes do not substantially modify the absorption of orally administered drugs, particularly those absorbed via passive diffusion.Transdermal drug delivery emerges as a highly viable method for older adults due...
01:18Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Metabolism
Geriatric patients show significant variation in how their bodies process medications, which can change how effective and safe treatments are. The liver is the primary organ where drug metabolism occurs, involving two main types of chemical reactions: phase I and II. Phase I metabolism is driven by the cytochrome P450 enzyme system, which includes key types such as CYP3A, CYP2D6, and CYP2C9. Research indicates that while aging doesn't notably alter the levels or activity of these enzymes, it...