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Significance of a change between two consecutive measured values.
Ariadna Padró-Miquel1, Raül Rigo-Bonnin, Xavier Fuentes-Arderiu
1Laboratori Clínic, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain. apadro@bellvitgehospital.cat
Scandinavian Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Investigation
|January 21, 2012
Summary
Interpreting changes in patient lab results is challenging. This study proposes a practical method using consecutive measurements to define significant variations in albumin and thyrotropin levels.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Chemistry
- Laboratory Medicine
- Medical Diagnostics
Background:
- Interpreting changes between consecutive patient lab values lacks standardization in clinical reports.
- A practical and affordable approach is needed for clinical laboratories to assess these value differences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a method for interpreting significant changes in serial laboratory test results.
- To establish population-specific intervals for assessing the significance of changes in serum albumin and thyrotropin concentrations.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed consecutive serum albumin and thyrotropin measurements within biological reference intervals from 2008-2009.
- Calculated relative differences and estimated 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles to define significant change intervals.
- Validated the derived intervals using data from 2010.
Main Results:
- Identified 122,626 albumin and 9,374 thyrotropin pairs within reference intervals.
- Established significant change intervals: (-14.0 to 17.6)% for albumin and (-61.4 to 177.8)% for thyrotropin.
- Found 12.7% significant albumin changes and 18.4% significant thyrotropin changes, confirmed in 2010 data.
Conclusions:
- A method for estimating significant change intervals using daily patient measurements is feasible for clinical labs.
- This approach offers a more personalized interpretation of laboratory value changes compared to traditional methods.
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