EDUCATIONAL GUIDE Troubleshooting QC Errors QUALITY CONTROL

Troubleshooting QC Errors So you ran QC this morning and realised that one of your analytes has been flagged as “out-of-control”, what do you do next? Do you ignore the warning and continue patient testing, repeat the control until it’s within range or do you halt patient testing and investigate the source of the error? Your QC Has Failed, What Do You Do Next? When it comes to troubleshooting QC errors, unfortunately there is no easy path to take. However, it’s important that you have standard operating procedures in place, outlining what to do in the event of an out-of-control error. Errors...

2. Review Your Levey-Jennings Charts To Understand The Type Of Error That Has Occurred There are two types of analytical errors: Systematic Errors Random Errors Both of these types of errors can be recognised on a standard Levey-Jennings chart and by using QC multi-rules. Identifying the type of error will help you relate the error to a possible cause. Systematic Error Systematic errors create a characteristic bias and can be identified by a change in the mean of control values. The change in the mean may be either a gradual trend or an abrupt shift in control results. Standard Deviation Standard...

Using QC Multi-Rules To Identify Systematic & Random Error You can use QC multi-rules to differentiate between systematic and random error. +3s Standard Deviation Standard Deviation This is a warning rule that is broken when a single control observation is outside the +/-2s limits. This rule warns that either a random or systematic error is present in the test system. If no other unacceptable results are apparent in the test system, it must be assumed that this is simply a random error and no further troubleshooting action is necessary. Any QC result outside +/-3s breaks this rule. This rule...

3. Relate The Type Of Error To Possible Causes Ask yourself questions in order of likely relevance and review the most common solutions to the problem. Dependent on whether you have identified a systematic or random error in your system, this can help you determine the possible root cause of the error. See below for some common causes of systematic and random errors. Systematic Error: Shift 1. Change or failure in light source 2. Major instrument maintenance 3. Failure in sampling system 4. Change in temperature 5. Failure in reagent dispense system 6. Change in reagent formulation 7. New reagent...

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ACUSERA 24•7 Interlaboratory Data Management Designed for use with the Acusera range of third party controls, the Acusera 24•7 software helps laboratories monitor and interpret their QC data. Access to an impressive range of features, including interactive charts, the automatic calculation of Measurement Uncertainty & Sigma Metrics and live peer group data generated from our extensive database of laboratory participants, ensures Acusera 24•7 is the most comprehensive package available. • Advanced statistical analysis with automatic calculation of performance metrics including; Sigma, UM, TE &...

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