The FAA's postmortem forensic toxicology self-evaluated proficiency test program: the second seven years.
During toxicological evaluations of samples from fatally injured pilots involved in civil aviation accidents, a high degree of quality control/quality assurance (QC/QA) is maintained. Under this philosophy, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) started a forensic toxicology proficiency-testing (PT) program in July 1991. In continuation of the first seven years of the PT findings reported earlier, PT findings of the next seven years are summarized herein. Twenty-eight survey samples (12 urine, 9 blood, and 7 tissue homogenate) with/without alcohols/volatiles, drugs, and/or putrefactive amine(s) were submitted to an average of 31 laboratories, of which an average of 25 participants returned their results. Analytes in survey samples were correctly identified and quantitated by a large number of participants, but some false positives of concern were reported. It is anticipated that the FAA's PT program will continue to serve the forensic toxicology community through this important part of the QC/QA for laboratory accreditations.
Chaturvedi
Arvind K
AK
Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory (AAM-610), Aerospace Medical Research Division, Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Oklahoma City, OK 73125-5066, USA. arvind.chaturvedi@faa.gov
Craft
Kristi J
KJ
Cardona
Patrick S
PS
Rogers
Paul B
PB
Canfield
Dennis V
DV
D000060:Accidents, Aviation; D000068:Accreditation; D000818:Animals; D001344:Autopsy; D001359:Aviation; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000592:standards; D053593:Forensic Toxicology / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006077:Government Agencies; D006801:Humans; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011786:Quality Control; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D014481:United States; D016482:Urinalysis / Q000592:standards