Statistical validation of reagent lot change in the clinical chemistry laboratory can confer insights on good clinical laboratory practice.
Verification of new lot reagent's suitability is necessary to ensure that results for patients' samples are consistent before and after reagent lot changes. A typical procedure is to measure results of some patients' samples along with quality control (QC) materials. In this study, the results of patients' samples and QC materials in reagent lot changes were analysed. In addition, the opinion regarding QC target range adjustment along with reagent lot changes was proposed. Patients' sample and QC material results of 360 reagent lot change events involving 61 analytes and eight instrument platforms were analysed. The between-lot differences for the patients' samples (ΔP) and the QC materials (ΔQC) were tested by Mann-Whitney U tests. The size of the between-lot differences in the QC data was calculated as multiples of standard deviation (SD). The ΔP and ΔQC values only differed significantly in 7.8% of the reagent lot change events. This frequency was not affected by the assay principle or the QC material source. One SD was proposed for the cutoff for maintaining pre-existing target range after reagent lot change. While non-commutable QC material results were infrequent in the present study, our data confirmed that QC materials have limited usefulness when assessing new reagent lots. Also a 1 SD standard for establishing a new QC target range after reagent lot change event was proposed.
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Gyeongsang National University Hospital and Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, Korea.
Min-Chul
MC
Cho
Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine and St Paul's Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
So Young
SY
Kim
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine and Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
Tae-Dong
TD
Jeong
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine and Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea wlee1@amc.seoul.kr.
Woochang
W
Lee
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine and Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
Sail
S
Chun
Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine and Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
Won-Ki
WK
Min
D002624:Chemistry, Clinical / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D019963:Clinical Chemistry Tests / Q000592:standards; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D006801:Humans; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D007753:Laboratories; D011786:Quality Control; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic
D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic
Quality assurance and control; laboratory methods