Indicator (medicine)
In the natural sciences, an indicator is a substance that shows a process or condition through a visible or measurable change. Mainly used
- pH indicators (change in color when the pH value changes ; see also: indicator (chemistry) )
- Enzyme indicators (sequence of an enzymatic reaction in the presence of a desired substance)
- radioactive indicators (accumulation of radioactively labeled substances in certain regions)
- Light-specifically absorbing or emitting substances, the elimination of which is measured non-invasively (as with indocyanine green, for example)
commitment
Diagnosis
For diagnostic purposes as evidence of pathological metabolic processes, the delimitation of active organ areas or to determine shunt volume .
z. B. Detection of glucose in urine.
sterilization
For the functional control of medical sterilizers . Mostly as paper strips or marking on the packaging with chemical substances that show discoloration under the desired germicidal conditions and thus enable ongoing functional control. Since the chemical indicators only allow a relatively imprecise function determination, also as biological indicators in the form of spores for the prescribed six-monthly function check.