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Accuracy in clinical chemistry--does anybody care?
1Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington 40536-0084.
Clinical Chemistry
|June 1, 1994
Summary
Advances in clinical chemistry instrumentation have improved diagnostics, but some lab test quality, including serum iron and lipase assays, remains flawed. This highlights issues in laboratory performance despite technological progress.
Area of Science:
- Clinical chemistry
- Laboratory medicine
- Diagnostic technology
Background:
- Instrumentation and analytical techniques in clinical chemistry have advanced significantly.
- However, the quality of certain laboratory tests has not improved commensurately.
- This disparity impacts the reliability of diagnostic processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight deficiencies in specific clinical laboratory methodologies.
- To identify areas where test quality lags behind technological advancements.
- To discuss factors contributing to suboptimal clinical laboratory performance.
Main Methods:
- Review of current methodologies for specific clinical chemistry assays.
- Analysis of quality issues in serum iron, serum lipase, and nonisotopic immunoassay testing.
- Discussion of contributing factors to laboratory performance variability.
Main Results:
- Identified significant flaws in currently used methods for serum iron and serum lipase.
- Highlighted issues with nonisotopic immunoassay performance.
- Indicated that some clinical laboratories exhibit suboptimal performance.
Conclusions:
- Despite technological progress, critical laboratory tests require improved methodologies.
- Addressing flaws in assays like serum iron and lipase is crucial for accurate diagnostics.
- Improving overall clinical laboratory performance is essential for reliable patient care.
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