Week 1 Flashcards
How diet affects test results
Tests may require fasting to avoid affects of food
e.g - Glucose spike after meal
Impact - Causes inaccurate test, require fasting before
How exercise affects results
Inc CK levels
Impact - May mimic other diseases, e.g myocardial injury
24-48hrs no exercise before test recommended
How stress affects results
Elevation in hormones e.g cortisol, glucose etc
Impact - Misdiagnosis, elevated cortisol is a marker for Cushing’s syndrome
How medication affects results
Can cause physiological changes, e.g corticosteroids elevate glucose
Impact - Misdiagnosis, diabetes
Haemoconcentration
Inc in blood components and dec in plasma volume
Can be caused by dehydration, tourniquet, stress
Impact - Misdiagnosis
Phlebotomy
Need to take blood from vein for testing
Haemolysis
Rupture RBC, releasing contents to plasma
Impact - Elv K+, misdiagnosis for pseudohyperluekemia
Affect Billuribin (Produced during rbc breakage) and Troponin (Protein in muscle)
Impact - Falsely dec both, B - Misdiagnosis of liver dysfunciton; T - MD of heart attack
Con of centrifugation
May cause haemolysis
Analytical variations
Errors caused by: Random errors, instrument errors, human error
Impact - False results, dec in reliability
Quality Management System (QMS)
process for improving the quality of a product or process
Components of QMS
Quality Statement, Quality Policy, Quality Manual, Quality Manager
List three commitments of the laboratory under the QMS.
Compliance with ISO 15189, proper procurement of equipment, and timely reporting of results
inputs for the AMR
Previous meeting’s objectives, department reports, quality reports, health and safety reports
outputs of the AMR?
User requirements, resource planning, audit scheduling
What is the purpose of internal audits?
ensure that all activities affecting quality are being carried out correctly and meet standards
Name three types of internal audits
Vertical Audit, Horizontal Audit, Examination Audit.
examples of quality indicators
Complaints, error logs, clinical incident reports, turnaround times, accreditation status
Internal Quality Control (IQC) purpose
To check that reagents and equipment are performing within specifications
External Quality Assessment (EQA)
comparison of analytical performance with other laboratories using blind samples.
What is the key difference between IQC and EQA?
IQC ensures day-to-day consistency, while EQA compares performance with other laboratories.
Body position affect on results
Standing - sitting causes inc in haemoconcentration
Lipaemia affect on results
Dec electrolytes
