title: Guidelines for blood smear preparation and staining procedure for setting up an external quality assessment scheme for blood smear interpretation. Part I: Control material.
abstract: Blood smear analysis is a well known technique in medical laboratories. Clinical relevance of this analysis and its interpretation are very important. Consequently, monitoring of laboratory performance by an external quality assessment scheme is strongly recommended. Most starting external quality organizers set up a scheme for clinical chemistry. Due to a lack of guidance documents, many organizers are reluctant to offer a hematology scheme. This article aims to be a very practical guidance document for external quality assessment organizers for the set up of blood smear schemes.
authors.affiliation: Red Cell Pathology Unit, ICMHO-IDIPAPS, Hospital Clinic I Provincial, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan-Lluis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vives Corrons
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Albarède
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Flandrin
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heller
authors.forename: Katalin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Horvath
authors.forename: Berend
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Houwen
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nordin
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sarkani
authors.forename: Milan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Skitek
authors.forename: Marjan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Blerk
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Libeer
mesh_terms: D002624:Chemistry, Clinical / Q000592:standards; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000592:standards*; D005060:Europe; D006403:Hematologic Tests / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories / Q000592:standards*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D011786:Quality Control; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000592:standards