Procalcitonin concentration in the emergency department predicts 30-day mortality in COVID-19 better than the lymphocyte count, the neutrophil-tolymphocyte ratio, or the C-reactive protein level.

Objectives: Although many demographic and clinical predictors of mortality have been studied in relation to COVID-19, little has been reported about the prognostic utility of inflammatory biomarkers.

Material And Methods: Retrospective cohort study. All patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 treated in a hospital emergency department were included consecutively if baseline measurements of the following biomarkers were on record: lymphocyte counts, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio NRL, and C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) levels.

An opportunity to emphasize the relevance of laboratory medicine.

Objectives: Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are recommendations based on a systematic review of scientific evidence that are intended to help healthcare professionals and patients make the best clinical decisions. CPGs must be evidence-based and are designed by multidisciplinary teams. The purpose of this study is to assess the topics related to the clinical laboratory addressed in CPGs and evaluate the involvement of laboratory professionals in the CPG development process.

Development of a method for the quantitative analysis of urinary stones, formed by a mixture of two components, using infrared spectroscopy.

Objectives: The analysis of urinary stones is used for the diagnosis of the etiology of an episode of nephrolithiasis. The technique considered as standard for this purpose is infrared spectroscopy (IR). However, when the urinary stone is formed by a mixture of components, only semi-quantitative information can be achieved using IR.