The quality of analytical determinations of copper and zinc in serum. A collaborative study in a sample of Italian laboratories.
An external quality assurance scheme for Cu and Zn analysis in serum was carried out in Italy between 1989 and 1990. It included: preparation of control materials by the organizing centre; distribution of control samples to the participants according to a random selection; elaboration of results and evaluation of laboratory performance. Inter-laboratory variability was 16.9% and 16.4%, at concentrations of 0.94 and 1.08 mg/l, for Cu and Zn, respectively. Laboratory performance in terms of percentage of results within the limits of acceptability, improved for Cu, but not for Zn analysis.
Laboratorio di Biochimica Clinica, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma, Italy.
M
M
Patriarca
A
A
Menditto
A
A
Muran
G
G
Morisi
D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000592:standards*; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D007753:Laboratories / Q000592:standards*; D011786:Quality Control; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood*
D003300:Copper; D015032:Zinc