22 July 2008 - Exceptional reagent stability enables calibration-free out of hours Paracetamol overdose detection
Watford,22 July 2008: Olympus has introduced a new quantitative assay for Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) demonstrating greater stability than previously available tests. With improved on-board instrument and calibration stability, the new Olympus Enzymatic Paracetamol test requires fewer calibration episodes and will reduce wastage, so saving time and money.
The new Olympus assay utilises an enzymatic procedure and has a very broad range of detection (5 – 2500 µmol/L or 0.76 – 378 mg/L) with excellent precision across this range. The exceptional stability of the test is demonstrated by an on-board stability of 14 days, plus a calibration interval of 7 days. Consequently, this enables reliable, calibration-free operation for out of hours Paracetamol overdose detection in human serum and plasma.
External Quality Assessment schemes have demonstrated excellent correlation of the new Olympus Paracetamol test with other leading reagents.
The complete Olympus Paracetamol kit includes all necessary calibration material, buffers and reagents. The calibrator is completely stable unopened up to the stated expiry date, once opened it remains stable for 30 days.
“Early detection of Paracetamol overdose is crucial, as the initiation of therapy within 16 hours of ingestion reduces the potential for hepatic injury and decreases the rate of mortality”, explained Chris Jones, Olympus Product Manager (Clinical Chemistry and Patient Safety). “We are, therefore, very pleased to be able to meet our customers’ requirements for simple and reliable Paracetamol measurement by launching our new Enzymatic Paracetamol Test.”
Editor notes:
Olympus UK Limited
Olympus UK Limited offers a suite of solutions for safer and more efficient provision of diagnostic and healthcare services. Designed in partnership with healthcare providers our products are helping to modernise the patient journey across both the primary and secondary care environments. Fundamental to our approach is the appropriate application of technology to deliver better care to patients, while supporting busy healthcare professionals in an increasingly demanding working environment.
