Here are the results of our January, 2018 Quick Question, How do you establish a coag factor reference interval?
A. Use a published RI from an article or textbook: 3 votes, 7%
B. Validate manufacturer’s RI using ~ 20 locally collected aliquots: 16 votes, 39%
C. Validate manufacturer’s RI using ~30 locally collected aliquots: 11 votes, 27%
D. Validate manufacturer’s RI using commercial normal sample set: 4 votes, 10%
E. Generate a new RI using 120 locally collected plasmas: 6 votes, 15%
Comment: George had expected that more of us were turning to commercial normal sample sets, given the usual barriers to collecting representative local samples. Since lab QC coordinators don’t use patient specimens, the choices are collecting from volunteer lab and hospital employees, who may be reluctant or who may not accurately represent the patient demographics, or collecting from medical, nursing, and medical lab science students or from residents and fellows, a demographic that is most likely younger than the patient mix. Given these limitations, please comment on how you ensure your reference interval reflects your patient demographics.
No comments here.