title: The UK national external quality assessment scheme in blood group serology. Compatibility testing 1981-1982: performance and practice.
abstract: The design of exercises of compatibility testing was modified in 1981 in order better to accommodate participants' serological practices. Ten reference laboratories were also enrolled in order to determine the 'correct' results for each exercise. In 1981-1982 3.5 to 36% of participants missed incompatibilities in exercises in which undiluted antibodies were issued and this did not represent an improvement over performance obtained in 1979-1980. Surveys were undertaken of antiglobulin test procedures and revealed that serological practices continue to change, old techniques are being modified, new techniques are being employed but standardization shows little overall improvement. Surveys of quality control procedures and of cross-match procedures for agglutination in albumin and for agglutination of enzyme treated cells show equal lack of standardization.
mesh_terms: D001771:Blood Banks / Q000592:standards*; D001787:Blood Group Incompatibility / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001788:Blood Grouping and Crossmatching; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories / Q000592:standards*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D011786:Quality Control; D006113:United Kingdom