Region Zealand: we are there for you
Fri Jun 26 2020
By: Thomas Neil Skov, ViroGates
Region Zealand (RZ) is one of five regions in Denmark. The region has six hospitals, which annually takes care of approx. 190,000 admitted patients. A large emergency medical service set-up ensures prompt and local treatment.
On March 24 the Clinical Immunology Department at Næstved Hospital, the leading hospital in RZ, anchored the implementation of suPAR in clinical routine across the hospitals in the region (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1. Region Zealand comprises the six hospitals Holbæk, Roskilde, Køge, Slagelse, Næstved and Nykøbing F. It is the Clinical Immunology Dept at Næstved Hospital which anchored the implementation of suPAR at regional level.
The original idea was for all the Clinical Immunology Departments in the region to use suPAR in order to address rheumatic diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic, however, it soon became practice to also be using suPAR for triaging of patients admitted with suspicion of the COVID-19 disease. The aim is now to expand the use of suPAR, currently measured using an aLF Reader (a point-of-care device, see Fig. 2), to also allow triage and monitoring of acute medical patients, as well as patients with other autoimmune diseases than SLE. These include diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases, and kidney diseases, where suPAR can assist in discharge decisions, as well as predict serious illness and increased risk of death.
Fig. 2. suPAR measurements station. suPAR is currently measured using the aLF Reader
“The suPAR test will now be available for all departments within hospitals in RZ. The Department of Clinical Immunology offers the analysis, having brought forward the implementation due to the extraordinary COVID-19 pandemic.”
Medical Director of RZ Keld M. Homburg
