Standardization and validation of molecular assays as direct detection tests will further decrease turnaround time; however, these methods only complement conventional testing.
Since the response time for tests of BRAF status is a major issue, this procedure could also offer new opportunities to significantly enhance sample throughput, decrease turnaround time, and propose an interesting alternative solution in "urgent" cases.
In 1964 Broder and Weil [ 1] were the first to use a photospectrometric method to measure lactate levels in whole blood decreasing turnaround times greatly.
Although the real-time RT-PCR format provides considerably decreased turnaround times in molecular diagnostics, delays associated with shipping of samples and laboratory-based testing are a concern when many patients have to be seen in short time.
Anecdotally, I am aware of universities that, as a result of NSS findings, decreased turnaround time for feedback on assessments without increasing staff numbers.
Current handheld devices and mobile blood gas analyzers have decreased turnaround time to less than 2 min using a minimal amount of blood [ 2].
Recent FDA approval of a more rapid PNA-FISH protocol should prove to be advantageous in further decreasing turnaround time to organism identification [ 9].
The clinical impact of the decreased turnaround time means that bacterial diarrhea is more promptly ruled out using the CPDC assay compared to using conventional culture in small laboratories.
However, these limitations could be easily overcome in the upgraded model of this instrument (ABI 3130), which has 4 16 capillaries and hands-free, 24-hour operation capabilities for simultaneous analyses of multiple samples, thereby considerably decreasing turnaround time.
PCR techniques are becoming more useful in decreasing laboratory turnaround times, providing results to the clinician at an earlier stage.
