Evaluation of fixed quality control range of bayer rapidpoint 400 blood gas and electrolyte analyzer with six sigma metrics.
BACKGROUND
Bayer Rapidpoint 400 analyzer for point of care testing (POCT) uses fixed quality control (QC) range even when the lot number of a cartridge for quality control changes. To evaluate the fixed QC range recommended by the manufacturer, we analyzed internal QC data of 9 analyzers with Six Sigma metrics.


METHODS
We investigated QC data of 9 analyzers over 5 months from May to September, 2004 for 8 parameters (pH, pCO(2), pO(2), Na(+), K(+), iCa(++), Cl(-), and glucose). One hundred eighty six groups of QC data were analyzed with capability index (C(p)=total allowable error (TEa)/3 standard deviation (SD)) and capability index considering bias (C(pk),=(TEa-bias)/3 SD). Acceptability was evaluated with criteria of 1.33 C(pk), 4 sigma level or quality criteria of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA'88).


RESULTS
In 80.7% (150 of 186 groups), both C(p) and C(pk) were at or above 1.33, which indicated that the use of fixed QC range was adequate. In 19.3% (36 of 186 groups), C(pk) was below 1.33, which indicated the inadequacy of fixed QC range. Among them 14.5% (27 of 186 groups) showed C(p) below 1.33, indicating that the errors had a random factor and 4.8% (9 of 186 groups) had C(p) at or above 1.33, indicating that the errors had a systematic factor.


CONCLUSIONS
The quality criteria mandated by CLIA '88 was satisfied in about 80% of study groups using fixed QC ranges, but in about 20%, more strict instrument maintenance and specimen handling by operators, and quality improvement of QC materials by manufacturer was required.