NICE has assessed point-of-care creatinine devices to help the NHS decide whether to use them before CT scans. The devices are ABL800 FLEX, i-STAT Alinity, StatSensor, ABL90 FLEX PLUS, Dri chem NX500, epoc Blood Analysis System, and Piccolo Xpress.
They measure the amount of creatinine in your blood to find out how well your kidneys are working (estimated glomerular filtration rate, or eGFR). This helps medical professionals decide if it’s safe for you to have a CT scan. Sometimes CT scans can cause kidney injury because of the contrast (dye) used, especially if you have other medical problems.
NICE has said that ABL800 FLEX, i-STAT Alinity and StatSensor can be used before you have a CT scan that uses contrast. But only if you have a high risk of kidney injury and only if the hospital normally needs a recent eGFR result and you do not have one. The hospital also needs to have clear rules about tests done near to a patient (point-of-care testing).
NICE has said there is not enough evidence to recommend the other tests: ABL90 FLEX PLUS, Dri chem NX500, epoc Blood Analysis System, and Piccolo Xpress. This is because there is not enough evidence that they are accurate.
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