Comparison of four electrolyte instruments using the proposed NCCLS protocol for evaluation of precision and accuracy of automated instruments.
We compared four instruments, [Sequential Multiple Analyzer Computer (SMAC), AutoAnalyzer II (AAII), StatLyte and PVA-4] for the determination of Na, K, Cl and CO2 using the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standard's (NCCLS) protocol (PSEP-1) for evaluation of precision and accuracy of automated instruments. The protocol was applied concurrently to all four instruments. The repeatability results showed SMAC to have the highest precision among-days for K, Cl, and CO2 whereas StatLyte showed the highest precision among-days for Na. The PVA-4 had the best within-run precision for Na and Cl while the AAII and SMAC had the best within-run precision for K and CO2 respectively. Systematic biases among the instruments were small for Na and K. The AAII exhibited a nearly constant bias at all concentrations of Cl relative to the other three instruments. For CO2 the SMAC showed a large proportional bias compared with the other three instruments.
D001322:Autoanalysis / Q000295:instrumentation*; D001639:Bicarbonates / Q000097:blood; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D002624:Chemistry, Clinical / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002712:Chlorides / Q000097:blood; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D011188:Potassium / Q000097:blood; D011786:Quality Control; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood
D001639:Bicarbonates; D002712:Chlorides; D004573:Electrolytes; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D012964:Sodium; D011188:Potassium