03/11/2022 - Dehydration detection

Measuring lithium and creatinine levels in the blood of people with bipolar disorder who are prescribed lithium medication is currently the most well-known application of Fisic's Point-of-Care device - Medimate

Less well-known is the measurement of urine samples and other blood values on location. Also because these are currently still being carried out in an investigation or pilot phase, such as forensic investigations and the early detection of dehydration in total parenteral nutrition.

For the latter, research is being conducted at Radboud University Medical Center, where one of the two Dutch specialized Total Parenteral Nutrition centers is located.

In that study, Judith Beurskens (Nursing Specialist) and her colleagues Nicole Buters-Ambrosius, Miranda van Berkel, Dr. Getty Huisman - de Waal and Geert Wanten are involved.

Judith is enthusiastic about that research, she says in an interview. It already provides practitioners with a great deal of insight into the fluid balance in people with a high-output stoma. As a result, the practitioners can already give much better advice than before about the dosage for fluid intake.

Important to prevent too high a moisture content or dehydration. The latter has certainly happened a number of times during the first research phase. This also prevented patients from having to be admitted to hospital.

Another positive effect is that patients who participated in this phase of the study also learned to better manage their fluid balance. By measuring urine directly at home and discussing the results with practitioners.

As a result, they also learned to better assess what signals from their body mean and how to respond to them. It provides much more self-direction. The result: an improved quality of life for the patient and fewer contacts with practitioners that are not strictly necessary. Reasons enough for Judith and her colleagues to conduct a follow-up study into the effects of allowing patients to independently measure urine values when they feel the need to do so.

And for us to pay more attention to the application of the Medimate in Total Parenteral Nutrition in the coming period.

Do you want to stay informed of developments and information about our POCT device? Then follow the company page of Fisic - Medimate on LinkedIn.