[Point care testing in blood gas and electrolyte analysis : examples of implementation and cost analysis].

An increasing proportion of laboratories manage and organize point of care testing (POCT). The purpose of this article is to describe the implementation made at Lariboisière hospital for three remote blood gas analysers. The most important aspect in this achievement is the comprehensive computerization, making possible real time management of POCT in agreement with the Point of Care unit Management team. In addition, we present a running cost analysis, comparing three Blood gas systems (Rapidlab860, Rapidpoint 400--Bayer Diagnostics and i-Stat Abbott Diagnostics). This study indicates that cost per test hugely varies based on the daily sample demand. In addition to analytical and organizational items, the clinical chemist should consider the testing demand as a key factor in choosing an analyser for POCT.