Present analytical quality in the Nordic clinical chemistry laboratories

An introductory review is given of the discussion in the Nordic countries on the definition, aim, and optimal organization of quality control. Published and unpublished Scandinavian works have been reviewed and commented under the following headlines: common chemical analyses, enzyme analyses, serum and plasma protein analyses, hormone analyses, drug analyses, hematological tests, and urine analyses. It is concluded that methods for calculating medical standards of analytical quality in clinical chemistry form the logical background for the design of an optimal quality control system, which will guarantee that analytical results well have a specified probability of satisfying the medical requirements.