Bias and precision of cholesterol analysis by physician's office analyzers.
We studied the bias and precision of serum cholesterol analysis by physician's office analyzers. Total imprecision (CV range, %) for analysis of serum pools was: Abbott Vision 1.5%-1.9%; Ames Seralyzer 3.9%-4.5%; BMD Reflotron 2.3%-3.8%; Chrometrics Cholesterol Test System 2.3%-2.8%; Kodak DT-60 1.6%-2.2%. The Ames Seralyzer exhibited an excessive between-run component of variation. We collected, from 109 volunteers, samples of venous serum, heparin-treated whole blood, heparin-treated plasma, and fingerstick whole blood, and analyzed each type (where possible) with each system; serum was also analyzed in duplicate (by a proposed Reference Method) at the Centers for Disease Control. For assays with serum, the BMD Reflotron and Kodak DT-60 exhibited negative bias. All systems gave lower results for plasma and whole blood than for serum. All systems except the Kodak DT-60 were less precise for analysis of patients' sera than for analysis of serum pools; between-specimen variables may influence the results of these systems.
Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore 21201.
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Koch
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Mehta
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Lee
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Aziz
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Temel
J A
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Donlon
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Sherwin
D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D006493:Heparin / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D010824:Physicians' Offices
D006493:Heparin; D002784:Cholesterol