External quality control for embryology laboratories.
Participation in external quality control (EQC) programmes is recommended by various scientific societies. Results from an EQC programme for embryology laboratories are presented. This 5-year programme consisted of the annual delivery of (i) materials to test toxicity and (ii) a DVD/CD-ROM with images of zygotes and embryos on days 2 and 3, on the basis of which the participants were asked to judge the embryo quality and to take a clinical decision. A high degree of agreement was considered achieved when over 75% of the laboratories produced similar classifications. With respect to the materials analysed, the specificity was 68% and the sensitivity was 83%. Concerning embryo classification, the proportion of embryos on which a high degree of agreement was achieved increased during this period from 35% to 55%. No improvement was observed in the degree of agreement on the clinical decision to be taken. Day-3 embryos produced a higher degree of agreement (58%) than did day-2 embryos (32%) (P<0.05). Participation in EQC increased the degree of inter-laboratory agreement on embryo classification, but not the corresponding agreement on clinical decision taking. It is necessary to introduce measures aimed at standardizing decision taking procedures in embryology laboratories.
Castilla
Jose Antonio
JA
Human Reproduction Unit, Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, 18014 Granada, Spain. josea.castilla.sspa@juntadeandalucia.es
Ruiz de Assín
Rafael
R
Gonzalvo
Maria Carmen
MC
Clavero
Ana
A
Ramírez
Juan Pablo
JP
Vergara
Francisco
F
Martínez
Luis
L
D001681:Biological Assay / Q000592:standards; D004626:Embryology / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories / Q000592:standards*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D016730:Program Development; D011786:Quality Control; D018456:Reproductive Medicine / Q000592:standards*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013030:Spain