title: Sweat testing for cystic fibrosis: standards of performance in Australasia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Accurate measurement of sweat chloride concentration is essential for the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (CF). We surveyed all laboratories enrolled in the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance Program (QAP) for Sweat Electrolytes to determine how closely they comply with the Australian Guidelines for the performance of the sweat test for the diagnosis of CF.
  
  
  METHODS
  A detailed questionnaire covering most aspects of sweat collection and analysis was sent to all participating laboratories in 2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty out of 38 laboratories completed the questionnaire. While adherence to accepted guidelines was noted in many areas, the following main variations were recorded: some laboratories were not doing enough sweat tests to maintain expertise; some were not collecting sweat for the recommended collection time; sweat conductivity was the only test available in some laboratories; there was a lack of agreement between the sweat chloride concentration used to indicate CF or define an equivocal result.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is room for improvement in the performance of the sweat test in some laboratories in Australasia. The Sweat Testing Working Party of the Australasian Association of Clinical Biochemists is the appropriate body to address the problems involved in sweat testing and to bring about change.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Locked Bag 4001, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia. johnc2@chw.edu.au
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coakley
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mackay
authors.forename: Ronda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Greaves
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jolly
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Massie
authors.forename: Avantika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bransden
authors.forename: James C G
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Doery
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chiriano
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Robins
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D019963:Clinical Chemistry Tests / Q000592:standards*; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013542:Sweat / Q000737:chemistry*; D055815:Young Adult