title: Neonatal screening external quality assessment in China, 2014.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the 2014 results of neonatal screening external quality assessment (EQA) performed by the Chinese National Centre for Clinical Laboratories.
  
  
  METHODS
  EQA test panels consisting of five dried blood spots (three panels for phenylalanine (Phe) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), two for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and 17-alpha-hydroxy progesterone (17-OHP)) were distributed to laboratories and the results collected and evaluated. To compare the correct recognition rates, chi-square test was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Test results were received from 170 laboratories for Phe, 176 for TSH, 65 for G6PD and 65 for 17-OHP. The total number of effective quantitative and qualitative results of Phe, TSH, G6PD and 17-OHP were 2520 and 2370, 2605 and 2450, 645 and 530, 645 and 645, respectively. The overall correct recognition rates for qualitative tests of Phe, TSH, G6PD and 17-OHP were 99.79 %, 99.67 %, 93.40 % and 99.84 %, and the proportion of acceptable quantitative results were 94.48 %, 98.31 %, 84.65 % and 99.84 %, respectively. There were significant differences in the rates of acceptable quantitative results of the two measurement systems for Phe, TSH and G6PD (p<0.001); χ(2) test showed significant differences in correct recognition or acceptable rates among programmes (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most of the quantitative results were acceptable and the overall correct recognition rates in qualitative results approached 100%. Distributing more challenging samples and increasing the range of concentrations of EQA samples will improve standards in future assessments.
authors.affiliation: Beijing Hospital, National Centre for Clinical Laboratories, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Beijing Hospital, National Centre for Clinical Laboratories, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Beijing Hospital, National Centre for Clinical Laboratories, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Falin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Beijing Hospital, National Centre for Clinical Laboratories, Beijing, China zgwang@nccl.org.cn.
authors.forename: Zhiguo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone / Q000097:blood; D002681:China; D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D005955:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015997:Neonatal Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000097:blood; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D010649:Phenylalanine; D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone; D013972:Thyrotropin; D005954:Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase
keywords: 17-alpha-hydroxy progesterone; External quality assessment; Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase; Neonatal screening; Phenylalanine; Thyroid stimulating hormone