Winning with Westgard
An example of a systematic error on a Levey-Jenning Chart
What is 4-1s or 10x?
It is used to describe a method that allows for comparison of a laboratory’s testing to a source outside the laboratory.
What is external quality assessment?
This is the number of data points typically needed to define a reference interval
What is 120?
The anticoagulant used in a dark green tube
What is sodium heparin?
An assay operating at this defect rate only requires monitoring using a 1-3s rule
What is an assay operating at 6 sigma?
Accreditation Canada (formerly IQMH) uses this ISO standard in describing requirement for quality and competency for a medical laboratory
What is ISO 15189
This is the "S" in the PDSA cycle for quality improvement
What is Study?
Correct order of draw for the following tubes used to collect blood from a patient: lavender, light blue, red.
What is light blue, red and lavender.
Is a measure of assay performance determined by combining the estimate of bias from a method comparison study and the estimate of precision from a replication study.
What is total error?
This is described as a program developed to support efficient and effective, high quality and appropriate diagnostic services
What is a Quality Management System
This concept was first described by Lundberg 40 years ago and is used to help understand the total testing process.
What is the brain to brain loop?
This blood collection practice can falsely elevate an plasma ammonia.
What is fist clenching or application of a tourniqet.
First described by Dr. Callum Fraser, it is a measure of within an individual analyte variation and can be used in estimating the total allowable error for an assay.
What is within-subject biological variation?
This type of non-conformance would be given to a laboratory in the following scenario: The laboratory has been recently implemented an assay for testing glucose. The laboratory provided a white paper document from the vendor as evidence of expected assay performance.
What is a major non-conformance?
A laboratory does performs this testing regularly to have confidence the results its provides
What is quality control testing?
Their presence must be minimal in considering a sufficiently spun plasma sample.
What is red cells, platelets and lymphocytes?
These two Pathologists first introduced statistical quality control in the 1950's
Who are Levey and Jennings.
This term describes the allowable assay performance used to determine the suitability of an assay for clinical use
What is total allowable error?
It is performed on all samples used for Clinical Chemistry testing to qualify its integrity.
What is icterus, hemolysis and lipemic testing?
I slide under pressure and gel when not.
What is a thixotropic material