The 40-Minute Wait: Why Critical Blood Gas Results Should Never Leave the Bedside
In critical care, the blood gas result is only useful while it is still true. Yet in most hospitals the sample spends far longer in transit, in queues and in re-entry than it does in the analyser itself. This article breaks down where the minutes actually go, offers a four-question turnaround-time audit any clinical lead can run this week, and explains how point-of-care blood gas testing closes the gap without displacing the central laboratory.
