A survey of coagulation laboratory practice in Thailand: the first step to establish a National External Quality Assessment Scheme (NEQAS) for blood coagulation.
BACKGROUND
External quality assessment (EQA) is an essential component of laboratory quality assurance. In Thailand, there is no EQA program for coagulation tests at the national level.


OBJECTIVE
To collect the necessary data in the first step to set up a National External Quality Assessment Scheme (NEQAS) and to assess the status of coagulation laboratory practice in Thailand.


METHODS
Questionnaires were sent to hospitals to obtain information about the hospitals, their coagulation laboratory practice and EQA.


RESULTS
From a dispatch of 220 questionnaires, 124 (56.4%) were returned. Of the 112 hospitals that had coagulation tests, all of them performed prothrombin time (PT), and 110 laboratories performed activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) as well. Thirty eight percent of laboratories still used 3.8% sodium citrate as the anticoagulant for coagulation tests. The majority of laboratories (65%) reported normal control value with the patient results. Only 42% of coagulation laboratories established their own reference range. The denominators of PT ratio and APTT ratio calculations were derived from several sources apart from the mean of normal subjects. Seven of 112 (6%) laboratories participated in an EQA program.


CONCLUSIONS
The present survey represents an overview of the current laboratory practice for coagulation tests in Thailand Improvement is necessary, and the survey results emphasize the need for establishing an EQA program in Thailand
Tientadakul
Panutsaya
P
Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Opartkiattikul
Nisarat
N
Wongtiraporn
Wanida
W
D001777:Blood Coagulation; D001780:Blood Coagulation Tests / Q000592:standards*; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D010314:Partial Thromboplastin Time; D011517:Prothrombin Time; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012016:Reference Values; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013785:Thailand