Quality control procedures in an automated serological testing laboratory

Authors: Liberona HE, Timbs DV, Moxham JW
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 26, Issue 3, pp 60, 65-66, Mar 1978
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Cattle, Livestock, Production animal, Ruminant
Subject Terms: Bacterial, Biosecurity, Disease/defect, Infectious disease, Clinical pathology, Diagnostic procedures, Notifiable organisms/exotic disease, Reproduction, Quality/assurance, Zoonosis, Public health
Article class: Scientific Article

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Abstract: All automated complement fixation test results and testing procedures carried out at the Central Brucellosis Laboratory for the Brucellosis Eradication Scheme undergo quality control checks. Auto-Analyzer performance is monitored by reagent concentrations, peak heights of the standard positive sera and percent transmission for 0% and 100% lysis of sheep red blood cells. Deviations in the size and form of sample peaks indicate problems with the serum sample or the testing system. A trial designed to detect inapparent errors found that these constituted 0.6% of the samples surveyed, while apparent errors caused 11.5% of routine serum samples to be retested. The introduction of more stringent quality control measures reduced the number of samples requiring retesting to 3.4% of all samples tested. Continuing education of staff is considered an important means of improving the quality of laboratory work.

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