Table 1.

Characteristics of included studies, setting, device, tests performed, patient characteristics and sample size

Study	Setting	Device (manufacturer)	Tests performed	Participant characteristics	Sample size
Parvin et al 27*	ED USA	i-STAT (i-STAT Corp, Princeton, NJ)	Sodium, potassium, chloride, blood urea nitrogen, glucose, haematocrit, haemoglobin	Patients presenting to the ED between Dec 1994 and Jan 1995 (control period 1), Feb and April 1995 (intervention period) and April 1995 (control period 2) and who had blood tests done that were available on the i-STAT. Only 5.3% of patients had no other central laboratory testing performed in addition to i-STAT	2067
Kendall et al 22	ED UK	i-STAT (Abbott) two cartridges evaluated	Sodium, potassium, chloride, urea, glucose, packed cell volume (PCV), calculates Hb from PCV pH, partial pressure carbon dioxide (ppCO2), partial pressure oxygen (ppO2), bicarbonate, total CO2, base excess, oxygen saturation	Representative sample of adult ED patients who needed blood tests. No exclusion criteria.	1728
Murray et al 25	ED Canada	NOVA 16 CRT Spectral Cardiac STATus Test Kit (Nova Biomedical)	Creatinine, sodium, potassium, chloride, total CO2, glucose, blood urea nitrogen, haematocrit, qualitative creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (CK-MB), and myoglobin	Adult ED patients, all patients seen in ED randomised but only those patients whose blood work fell entirely within capabilities of POCT were selected.	180
Hsiao et al 19	Tertiary paediatric ED USA	i-STAT (Abbott)	Sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, glucose, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, ionised calcium, haematocrit, basic blood gas analysis	Paediatric ED patients aged under 21 years old whose blood work fell entirely within capabilities of POCT. Critically ill patients excluded.	239
Lee et al 23	Multicentre: 5 EDs South Korea	Piccolo xpress (Abbott) Piccolo Metabolic Reagent Discs	Protein, albumin, alk phos, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, nitrogen, calcium, cr, glucose, potassium, sodium, bilirubin, total CO2	ED patients aged 15 years and older clinically required to have chemistry laboratory tests.	2323
Illahi et al 26	ED UK	Xpand Plus analyser (Siemens) XS 1000 analyser (Sysmex)	Albumin, Alkaline phosphatase, Amylase, Bilirubin, Calcium, Creatinine, CRP, glucose, paracetamol, phosphate, potassium, sodium, urea, FBC, WBC and differential	Adult ED patients. Some samples then underwent further testing in the central laboratory if required tests were not available from POCT device.	47
Jang et al 24	ED Korea	Piccolo xpress (Abbott) Piccolo metabolic reagent discs	Total protein, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, urea, nitrogen, calcium, chloride, creatinine, glucose, potassium, sodium, total bilirubin and total carbon dioxide	ED patients aged 15 years and older whose physicians ordered a comprehensive metabolic panel. Critically ill patients excluded.	10 244
Goodacre21†	Multicentre 6 EDs UK	Stratus CS (Siemens) cardiac analyser panel	CK, myocardial type, myoglobin, troponin 1	Adult ED patients with chest pain. Several exclusion criteria applied including patients with ECG changes consistent with myocardial infarction/high risk acute coronary syndrome, confirmed or suspected serious non-coronary pathology.	2243
Ezekowitz et al 20†	Ambulance service Canada (Out of hospital)	Cardio2 panel (Alere)	Troponin and B-type natriuretic peptide	Adults>18 years of age who activated emergency medical services for acute chest discomfort or dyspnoea for which acute cardiovascular disease was deemed to be the most probable diagnosis. Patients excluded if ST-elevation on ECG and non-cardiovascular cause suspected / recurrent dyspnoea.	491

*All studies were RCTs except from Parvin 1996(26) which was a before-after study design.

†Assessed cardiac panels.

ED, emergency department; POCT, point-of-care panel testing.