Stability of sodium and potassium in lyophilized quality control serum. A study of data from the Quality Assurance Service Program of the College of American Pathologists.
The long-term prereconstitution stability of sodium and potassium in large pools of lyophilized quality control serum used in Regional Quality Control Programs, conducted between 1977 and 1980 is reviewed. In approximately one third of 27 pools studied, minimal but significant increases in sodium concentration were detected, these increases averaged less than 0.50 per year and confirmed our previously reported results from pools analyzed between 1973 and 1976. Results relating to potassium stability have been inconsistent. The previously reported tendency for potassium to increase in some pools was again suggested by data obtained from laboratories using automated flame-emission photometry procedures. This was not confirmed, however, by the data reflecting manual/semi-automated flame-emission photometry procedures or automated electrode methods. It is postulated, that the source of sodium causing the increases in concentration is the glass containers in which control materials are stored between the time of manufacture and reconstitution. Regression analysis against time of monthly interlaboratory means, from participants in Regional Quality Control Programs, is a useful tool for evaluating postmanufacture stability of analytes in pools used for daily internal quality control procedures.
D001793:Blood Preservation / Q000592:standards*; D003625:Data Collection; D004566:Electrodes; D005612:Freeze Drying; D007700:Kinetics; D010338:Pathology, Clinical / Q000592:standards; D010783:Photometry; D011188:Potassium / Q000032:analysis*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D011786:Quality Control; D012955:Societies, Medical; D012964:Sodium / Q000032:analysis*; D014481:United States
D012964:Sodium; D011188:Potassium