|
|
||||||||||
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Professor and Associate Chairman, Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida
Reprints: James R Taylor PharmD CDE, Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, PO Box 100486, Gainesville, FL 32610-0486, fax 352/273-6242, jtaylor{at}cop.ufl.edu
OBJECTIVE: To review the literature regarding point-of-care (POC) cholesterol monitors and describe their role in pharmacy practice.
DATA SOURCES: Primary articles were identified by a MEDLINE search (1966May 2003); references cited in these articles provided additional resources.
STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: All of the articles identified from this search were reviewed, and all information deemed relevant was included.
DATA SYNTHESIS: Hyperlipidemia is a well-established risk factor for coronary artery disease, which is the leading cause of death in the US. The use of POC cholesterol monitors may help to improve the identification and management of this disease. Pharmacists may use many of these devices in their practice and are also in an ideal position to provide patient education on selection and use of these monitors and interpretation of the results.
CONCLUSIONS: The availability of POC cholesterol monitors has increased in recent years. Based on currently available data, these monitors are best suited for screening purposes and to assist in the management of hyperlipidemia. There is not enough evidence to support the notion that POC cholesterol monitors can replace laboratory or office monitoring. Their application in the diagnosis of hyperlipidemia is also currently limited.
Key Words: hyperlipidemia, point-of-care tests
Published Online, June 3, 2004. www.theannals.com, DOI 10.1345/aph.1D269
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
R. A Dale, L. H Jensen, and M. J Krantz Comparison of Two Point-of-Care Lipid Analyzers for Use in Global Cardiovascular Risk Assessments Ann. Pharmacother., May 1, 2008; 42(5): 633 - 639. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||