title: Biological variation database: structure and criteria used for generation and update.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Numerical data on the components of biological variation (BV) have many uses in laboratory medicine, including in the setting of analytical quality specifications, generation of reference change values and assessment of the utility of conventional reference values.
  
  
  METHODS
  Generation of a series of up-to-date comprehensive database of components of BV was initiated in 1997, integrating the more relevant information found in publications concerning BV. A scoring system was designed to evaluate the robustness of the data included. The database has been updated every 2 years, made available on the Internet and derived analytical quality specifications for imprecision, bias and total allowable error included in the tabulation of data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our aim here is to document, in detail, the methodology we used to evaluate the reliability of the included data compiled from the published literature. To date, our approach has not been explicitly documented, although the principles have been presented at many symposia, courses and conferences.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perich
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Minchinela
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ricós
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fernández-Calle
authors.forename: Virtudes
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: María Vicenta
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Doménech
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simón
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Biosca
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Boned
authors.forename: José Vicente
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: García-Lario
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cava
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fernández-Fernández
authors.forename: Callum G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Fraser
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium