Why is Gastric pH Testing Significant in Point-of-Care Environments?
Point-of-care testing is an efficient and convenient way for healthcare workers to deliver the services patients need. Rather than sending test results to a lab for further analysis, point-of-care emphasizes testing that provides near-immediate results no matter where the patient receives care, whether that be in a hospital room, outpatient facility, or even their own home.
Since the needs of point-of-care environments are unique, it is essential to use a set of medical tools that are well-suited for these needs. One of the most critical pieces of medical equipment to have on hand in one of these environments is a dependable pH test that can accurately measure gastric acidity in patients.
These pH tests are not only valuable in point-of-care environments but also prove to be the best way to test the placement of a feeding tube in nearly every situation. However, the focus of this article is to point out the specific benefits that easy and accurate pH testing offers for point-of-care healthcare. Read on to learn what those benefits are and more.
pH Testing Kits Are Fast
In nearly every instance of point-of-care healthcare, quick and convenient test results are a priority. As such, it is necessary to have a testing method that’s capable of providing results as quickly as possible. Fortunately, rather than waiting for hours, if not days, for the results of a test, pH kits give you a result in a matter of seconds.
pH Testing Kits Are Easy to Use
If you want to enhance your point-of-care healthcare delivery, you’ll want to use tests that are easy to use. That way, healthcare workers won’t have any delays as they attempt to perform the tests a patient most needs. Fortunately, the best pH tests on the market today come with an intuitive design that most people can use successfully, even if they don’t have extensive medical experience.
pH Testing Kits Work in Many Settings
One of the main reasons why pH testing kits are perfect for point-of-care is that you can use them in nearly any location. Some alternatives to pH testing kits require specific medical equipment that exists only in certain medical facilities. Point-of-care healthcare can occur in many different locations, so it makes sense to use a pH testing kit that remains functional and dependable no matter where you use it.
pH Testing Kits Are Affordable
Our final benefit of pH testing kits for point-of-care environments is that they are quite affordable compared to other options. Of course, this benefit extends to non-point-of-care healthcare, but it remains a viable positive attribute of pH testing kits that make them applicable in many different medical settings.
Why Are pH Testing Kits So Vital?
pH testing kits are a crucial component of healthcare whether you work in a point-of-care environment or not. Part of the reason why these testing kits are so useful is that they help to confirm the safety of common medical devices, especially feeding tubes.
When using a feeding tube it is incredibly important to ensure the proper placement of the tube in the stomach. Using a feeding tube that is improperly placed can lead to several complications and even death in some cases. Unfortunately, misplaced feeding tubes are far more prevalent than you might expect. Some studies even indicate that up to 56% of feeding tubes intended for the stomach end up in a different location in the body.
The good news is that convenient and accurate feeding tube placement can prevent complications related to misplaced feeding tubes. For anyone who receives point-of-care healthcare and uses a feeding tube of any type, pH tests will immensely increase the safety and success of using that tube.
How Does Gastric pH Testing Work?
One of the most innovative ways of using a gastric pH test is to attach it to the end of a nasogastric or orogastric feeding tube. Once the test and a syringe are attached to the feeding tube, the person performing the test can use the syringe’s plunger to pull stomach acid out of the patient through the feeding tube.
As the stomach acid reaches the syringe, it will contact the pH test, which will determine the overall acidity of the fluid.. A specific level of acidity indicates whether or not the tube is properly placed. Only after performing one of these tests and confirming proper placement in the stomach can you proceed to use the feeding tube safely.
What is the Best pH Testing Kit for Point-Of-Care Work?
By now, you understand the significant positive impact that gastric pH testing kits can have in point-of-care settings. However, as is true of many medical products, not all pH testing kits perform to the same standard.
If you are only satisfied with using the best industry-leading medical devices in your practice that’s been validated by many studies, you’ll want to take the time to find the pH testing kit that consistently performs at the highest level. We believe the RightSpotpH® Indicator by RightBio Metrics is the ideal pH testing device to use in point-of-care.
The RightSpotpH® Indicator provides fast, accurate results and has a color-coded system that is intuitive and easy to understand. If you want to learn more about what makes this product unique and how it can serve you perfectly in a point-of-care environment, contact us today for a free demo.
