Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Interlaboratory variability in serum lipid measurements.

R F Kahn1, R S McCord

  • 1Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock 72205.

Family Practice Research Journal
|December 1, 1991
PubMed
Summary

Laboratory testing for cholesterol and other lipids shows significant variability. This impacts the accurate diagnosis and treatment of heart disease, urging caution when interpreting patient results.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Agenda setting in the patient-physician relationship.

JAMA·1999
Same author

Prenatal protocol usage.

The Journal of the Arkansas Medical Society·1991
Same author

Oat bran supplementation for elevated serum cholesterol.

Family practice research journal·1990
Same author

Physicians' attitudes on advance directives.

JAMA·1989
Same author

Pharmacy teaching for family practice residents.

Family medicine·1985
Same author

Nitrous oxide analgesia for outpatient procedures.

American family physician·1985

Area of Science:

  • Clinical Chemistry
  • Cardiovascular Disease Research
  • Laboratory Medicine

Background:

  • Elevated blood cholesterol is a key risk factor for coronary heart disease.
  • Existing data suggest significant variability in lipid testing across laboratories in the United States.
  • Accurate and precise lipid measurements are crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the interlaboratory variability of serum lipid measurements.
  • To evaluate the consistency of lipid testing in the Little Rock area.

Main Methods:

  • Split serum samples from three subjects were distributed to ten local laboratories.
  • Lipid levels including total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and calculated LDL-cholesterol were measured.
  • Coefficients of variation were calculated to quantify interlaboratory variability.

Main Results:

  • Average coefficients of variation were 3.20% for total cholesterol, 9.46% for HDL-cholesterol, 7.73% for triglycerides, and 5.95% for calculated LDL-cholesterol.
  • Significant variability was observed across the ten participating laboratories.
  • The study highlights inconsistencies in lipid determination accuracy and precision.

Conclusions:

  • Clinicians should not assume uniform standardization in lipid testing across all laboratories.
  • Caution is advised when applying treatment guidelines based on abnormal serum lipid measurements without specific laboratory accuracy data.
  • Interlaboratory variability underscores the need for improved standardization in diagnostic testing.

Related Experiment Videos