In medical practice, situations often arise when the results of individual laboratory research must be received as soon as possible. Then, in the referral for tests, doctors leave the inscription “cito”, which when translated from Latin means “quickly, urgently”. The most common diagnosis of this type is the cito blood test: we’ll look at what it is in this article.
When is urgent diagnosis prescribed?
A study labeled cyto is prescribed if it is necessary to clarify the diagnosis, identify the cause of the pathology, immediately begin treatment of the patient, or prescribe the correct therapy to replace one that turned out to be ineffective. Often, urgent diagnostics eliminate serious complications and severe consequences for health, and sometimes the patient’s life depends on them.
Cito blood test: what does this mean for the patient? There are enough situations for urgent examination:
- Urgent need for emergency medical care. As a rule, such situations arise when a patient is brought in an ambulance with bright severe symptoms or in a serious condition that poses a threat to life. In order to determine the cause and make a diagnosis, an urgent analysis is done.
- Emergency surgery. Often during long procedures, the study is carried out repeatedly, especially with large blood losses.
- Preparation for surgery.
- Monitoring changes in the patient's health status.
- Adjusting treatment to determine dosage, discontinuation, or prescribing new ones medicines with unsuccessful therapy.
- Revealing concomitant diseases or allergic reactions.
- The remoteness of the patient’s area of residence, the impossibility of frequent visits to the doctor. Based on the results of urgent research, a specialist can evaluate the effectiveness of previously prescribed treatment or, conversely, prescribe a new therapeutic course.
- The patient is classified as at risk for any disease or is on a certain type of registration that requires specialized care.
Modern clinical diagnostic laboratories allow tests marked cito at the request of the patient who does not want to wait a long time for examination results. Moreover, this can be done in the laboratory or at home. Similar diagnostic procedures are paid, carried out by public and private medical institutions.
Types of urgent blood tests
List urgent tests quite significant: medical practice records about 400 types of studies, allowing you to get results in 3-8 hours. These include tests for various infections and pathogenic microorganisms, tumor markers, autoimmune and biochemical examinations, tests for tumor markers and general clinical diagnostics, and many others.
The results of cito studies are processed on average in about 3-5 hours; some diagnostics allow you to get the result within a few minutes after collecting the material.
The most popular is the determination of three main hematological values - the content of erythrocytes, leukocytes and hemoglobin, which makes it possible to identify the presence of acute/chronic inflammations/infections.
When prescribing urgent tests in a hospital setting, the doctor, as a rule, monitors the patient’s condition during the transfusion of blood components, as well as in case of heavy blood loss (usually during operations or in traumatology) and for urgent correction of hemostasis.
Technique of the procedure
By marking cito on the form, the doctor does not imply that the study is being conducted in any special way. The technique for conducting and processing the results of regular and urgent analyzes is practically the same, since a standard set of chemical reagents is used. The only difference is that it is carried out urgently, that is, out of turn.
In rare cases, additional reagents are used and their dosage is increased, but most often this is due to the type of study. IN Lately An automated system for processing test results is used, which guarantees 100% accuracy of the results.
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In medicine, the term “Cito” is often used, which can be found on prescriptions and referrals for research. What does it mean and in what cases is it used?
Cito concept
Translated from Latin, “Cito” means “urgently”, “urgently”, “quickly”. And tests marked Cito are carried out out of turn, in the shortest possible time.
This may be due to both the urgency of the situation, when there is a threat to a person’s life, and, for example, the patient’s lack of time. In the latter case, urgent Cito analyzes are carried out on a paid basis and are an order of magnitude more expensive than analyzes in the usual queue mode.
Reasons for performing Cito tests
There are several reasons why a patient is given a referral for a particular test labeled “Cito”:
- the patient is undergoing surgery, before which it is necessary to collect all relevant data on the physical condition of the body;
- it is necessary to clarify the diagnosis if a complex disease is suspected that requires immediate long-term treatment;
- the patient needs constant monitoring of his health, which takes into account the slightest fluctuations in one direction or another, for example, during the rapid progression of the disease or after undergoing a major operation;
- it is necessary to prevent the development of complications and allergic reactions to medications(for example, during pregnancy or for emergency surgery).
Advantages of urgent tests
In a regular clinic, conducting a study in Cito mode is carried out exclusively as prescribed by the attending physician and strictly in the presence of medical indications.
But there are situations when a person urgently needs results. For example, if it is necessary to undergo a medical examination as soon as possible when applying for a job, or the patient lives in another area and does not have the opportunity to travel to the hospital frequently. In this case, it would be advisable to contact a paid medical Center, where this service is included in the price list.
Advantages of Cito urgent tests:
- no queues;
- speed of obtaining results;
- comfortable collection conditions;
- saving personal time;
- kind and helpful attitude of the staff.
Depending on the type of study, the waiting time for results can range from 10 minutes to 8 hours. But it should be remembered that some tests cannot be carried out within short term, for example, bacteriological culture for microflora.
Cito test flow chart
The technology for conducting regular and urgent analysis is the same. The difference lies in the following points, due to one or another type of research:
- catalysts are used in their work - special substances that accelerate chemical reactions;
- the biomaterial is immediately placed in a special environment for study, activating the necessary reagents and without waiting for a complete set for research to be collected.
Thus, urgent analyzes marked Cito are a convenient and comfortable alternative to conventional analyzes and allow you to save precious minutes of time, and sometimes nerves.
Thanks to Cito, you can quickly establish the diagnosis and etiology of the disease, as a result of which therapy can be prescribed in a timely manner.
Purpose of Cito study
There are several situations in which Cito analysis is recommended, these could be:
- urgency in quickly diagnosing the disease in order to determine effective treatment;
- detection of pregnancy (test for beta-chorionic gonadotropin)
- incorrect and ineffective previous treatment;
- if the patient has allergic reactions before the upcoming therapy in order to avoid side effects;
- diagnosis and prevention of childhood diseases;
- making the right decision on the use of certain drugs to treat children;
- in case of emergency ambulance;
- upcoming emergency surgery.
Conducting a quick laboratory analysis increases the patient's chances of recovery several times.
Cito research can be carried out in different directions; its scope is quite extensive. Includes the following tests:
- general and extended blood tests;
- microscopy of the urinary system;
- immunology tests;
- detailed urine analysis, as well as its general examination;
- determination of blood gas components.
There are exceptions to assays that are not performed in Cito mode. For bacterial culture, it is not possible to use urgent research; such a procedure requires at least several hours, preferably several days. The Cito mode cannot influence the speed of bacterial sowing.
What is convenience?
IN modern world With an increased pace of life and constant lack of time, urgent and quick Cito tests become a solution to many problems with going to the hospital and standing in queues there.
Medical institutions create comfortable conditions for collecting biomaterial. In this case, the patient does not experience any discomfort or stress. In addition, often this procedure carried out not only in laboratory conditions, but can also be carried out at home, which is especially convenient for pregnant women and young children. Results can also be obtained in person, rather than at a hospital.
How is the technique carried out?
The Cito test is the same as any other laboratory procedure, but the test requires urgency, so laboratory technicians conduct it using special reagents and out of turn. The quality of the results obtained is no different from other analyzes that require additional time. Cito cost– high, this is due to the use of additional chemicals and immediate execution of the test.
Not uncommon when writing a referral for analysis biological fluids the specialist marks “CITO/CITO”. What does this marking mean? Are there any special conditions for taking this type of test? These are the most frequently asked questions from patients.
“Cito”, translated into Russian, means “quickly”, “urgently”. In a more free translation, it can be interpreted as “without a queue.” This marking is placed in the direction if the research needs to be carried out urgently. In addition to directions for tests, the “urgent” marking can be found on pharmacy prescriptions.
Conducting research analysis biological material with cyto markings goes outside the normal queue. The laboratory technician, receiving such an analysis in hand, puts aside all other materials and begins to study what has been received.
"Cyto" greatly reduces the time of examinations. The patient is able to pass necessary tests, get the results in hand and return to your doctor again.
Indications
- Urgent surgery is required.
- It is necessary to confirm the diagnosis and assess the condition of the patient/patient.
- When children are admitted to the Pediatrics department.
- Constant monitoring of the patient's condition during serious illnesses, after surgery. In these cases, the patient's condition is unstable. Therefore, constant monitoring will allow assessing the functioning of organs and systems.
- The patient was admitted for discharge, but the previous analysis showed a poor result. In this case, a repeat study is carried out, based on the results of which a decision will be made.
- The patient arrived at the medical institution from another city/country and is unable to wait for the results of the analysis carried out in the usual manner.
Kinds
Unfortunately, not all types of research on human biological material can be carried out urgently. For example, a seeding tank requires a certain period of time for bacteria to grow. It is impossible to speed it up.
But most studies can be carried out in a short time:
- Determination of blood group and Rh factor.
- Determination of hemoglobin level.
- Feces on worm eggs, coprogram.
- Detailed blood test (with formula).
- Microscopy of smears (from the genital organs; nasopharynx).
- Determination of hCG during pregnancy.
- Detection of allergic reactions to drugs.
The list can be continued indefinitely, since total research, with the possibility of urgent study, exceeds 400 titles.
Deadlines
From the moment the biomaterial is submitted until the final result is obtained, no more than 5 hours pass. The average time to complete a study usually takes from 30 minutes to 2 hours. For example, when normal procedure urine assessment, the test result can only be obtained the next day.
Price
In clinics, the cost of cytoanalysis is significantly higher than a conventional study. The increase in cost is explained by the use of expensive reagent kits used for urgent research. IN usual time, the laboratory assistant collects a certain number of identical tests (for example, urine) and uses reagents for all samples of materials.
When carrying out urgent analysis, the entire set of reagents is unpacked for only one sample. Accordingly, the cost of cyto research is mainly influenced by the wasteful consumption of chemical reagents.
Change
It is quite natural that a patient who has received a referral marked “cyto” is interested in the rules for taking such tests. No special preparation rules or conditions are required for submitting biomaterial for research.
The "cyto" label is for the medical staff, not the patient. For example, a referral was received for a general urinalysis, with the “CITO” marking in the corner. The patient needs to visit the laboratory technician’s office and receive a sterile container for collecting urine. Then go to the toilet room and collect a portion of urine.
Give the resulting biomaterial to the laboratory assistant along with the referral. It is necessary to clarify with the medical staff how long it will take to receive the result, whether it will be handed out or sent electronically.
Conclusion
Pace modern life does not always allow people to find time to visit specialists and stand in queues in laboratories. Many clinics provide the service of taking samples at home, urgent examination and the ability to transfer results via emails. This service is especially suitable for pregnant women, small children, and bedridden patients.
Without a doubt, urgent research helps save people’s lives in critical situations, adjust treatment if the previous one does not produce results, and significantly reduce the loss of time for both clinic clients and doctors.
Surely many have noticed that doctors, when sending their patients for tests, use special notes on referral forms. One of these marks is: “Cito!” However, few people think about what this means. Meanwhile, such an inscription can tell a medical professional a lot. That is why it is placed in a prominent place and is often highlighted in color. And the presence leaves no doubt about the importance of the doctor’s recommendation.
Medicine and Latin
Almost every person knows that Latin is a professional language medical workers. Hence the special terminology, sometimes not entirely clear, and the difficult to pronounce names of drugs and studies. This is why many Latin words or even entire phrases find their way into the vocabulary of doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians. Sometimes they are inexplicable to ordinary people due to ignorance of the language. Yes, often we are simply too lazy to open the dictionary and look up the meaning of the term. It is much easier to think that these complex designations do not concern the patient.
Interpretation of the term
In the meantime, let's turn to encyclopedic dictionary and find the word “Cito!” Value in Latin dictionary definitely: “urgent”. Let it go various options translations offer us a choice of “urgent” or “fast”. Ultimately, this means one thing: the doctor needs to see the result of the analysis or image quickly enough.
Why might there be a need for urgency during an examination? There are several reasons for this. Let's try to list them.
Reasons why an urgent clinical trial may be needed
Firstly, very often patients are admitted to hospital departments in serious condition. In this case, assistance must be provided immediately. However, a competent doctor will not prescribe treatment until he is sure that it will not harm the patient. After all, people often have problems with medications. Or, for example, the patient has diseases for which the use of certain drugs can be simply dangerous. And that's when they come to the rescue quick tests- CITO TEST.
The hospital always has its own laboratory, which conducts clinical studies of biomaterials in a hospital setting. This is necessary in order to constantly monitor the treatment process and make timely appropriate adjustments to the dosage of medications prescribed to patients, for example. "Cito!" in medicine it is most often used in hospital settings or in emergency care.
Secondly, for a patient who is about to undergo surgery, it is very important that the doctor has a complete picture of his condition virtually online. Therefore, especially during long operations, a Cito! study may be necessary. In medicine, very often it is the speed of obtaining such research results that helps save a human life.
Thirdly, it also happens that the treatment carried out may not bring the results that the doctor was aiming for. And often it is possible to adjust treatment in the direction of reducing or increasing the dose of the drug or even stopping it altogether only after a clinical examination of blood or urine.
Fourthly, it also happens that the patient himself does not know anything about the presence of allergies or concomitant diseases. In this case, the speed of the research helps to identify all hidden contraindications.
It is not uncommon for a patient to come for an appointment with his doctor from another city. He may not have the opportunity to linger or stop in an unfamiliar place. long time. And there is a need to evaluate the effectiveness of implementation of all treatment recommendations. In addition, there is always the possibility of making changes to the process of long-term treatment or rehabilitation, and this is only possible after receiving the results clinical trials.
Features of the “Cito!” mode
Using the “Cito!” mode in medicine does not mean that research is conducted in any special way. This is the same with the use of a standard set of chemical reagents, only it is carried out out of sequence. Therefore, accelerating research does not mean that it is being conducted differently.
By the way, we note that if the results of routine tests are available to the attending physician the next day, then in the “Cito!” - just a few hours after collection. And this is already a significant difference.
Like marking "Cito!" affects the cost of the study
As a result of the above facts, we understand what “Cito!” means in medicine. However, the results of rapid studies may be needed not only in a hospital setting. Often the patient has to run to the laboratory on his own. To be fair, it is worth noting that such research in outpatient clinics is mainly carried out on a paid basis. And the mark “Cito!” leads to a significant increase in the cost of the study. This is due to the fact that a certain set of expensive chemical reagents can be used to study the analyzes of several patients. And the laboratory assistant is sometimes forced to collect a batch for research for some time. And since we have already figured out what “Cito!” means. in medicine, when receiving such extraordinary material, the laboratory technician uses the entire set of reagents to conduct an urgent analysis study. It turns out that the patient simply pays for the reagents and, thereby, the urgency of the work.
Is “Cito!” mode always possible? Or cases when medicine is powerless
Almost any type of analysis can be examined in the “Cito!” mode. In medicine there are more than half a thousand various studies. However, there are exceptions here too. For example, if we are talking about bacterial cultures biomaterials, then it is almost impossible to apply the urgent regime here. Conducting this type of research requires time from several hours to several days. And if these deadlines are not met, then the possibility of obtaining reliable data is sharply reduced. Even medicine is powerless to influence the bacterial sowing process. "Cito!" for a laboratory technician it means that he must immediately start work. But he cannot influence the duration of its execution.
Who needs it?
Everyone, finding themselves in a situation where it is necessary medical assistance, would like everything to be done in "Cito!" mode. However, there is not always a need for an urgent response. Only the physician makes decisions regarding the urgency of such clinical trials. And since the need for such a rush arises, it is only in order to provide assistance to the patient. You need to pay due respect and not bother him with your questions and wishes.
