Automated and cost-efficient early detection of hemolysis in patients with extracorporeal life support: Use of the hemolysis-index of routine clinical chemistry platforms.

Purpose: Patients with extracorporeal life support (ECLS) are at risk for hemolysis-related complications. Therefore, monitoring of free hemoglobin (fHb) levels is indicated. Conventional methods for fHb are laborious and not always available.

Persistent changes in circulating white blood cell populations after splenectomy.

The effect of splenectomy on the incidence of infections and thromboembolisms has been investigated thoroughly. Nevertheless, the long-term effects of splenectomy on immunological profile and circulating blood counts have not been described before. To study such long-term effects, we analysed several parameters in splenectomised trauma patients and compared the results of this group ("otherwise healthy patients") to patients with a specific underlying disease.

Harmonisation of seven common enzyme results through EQA.

Background: Equivalent results between different laboratories enable optimal patient care and can be achieved with harmonisation. We report on EQA-initiated national harmonisation of seven enzymes using commutable samples.

Methods: EQA samples were prepared from human serum spiked with human recombinant enzymes.

Systematic monitoring of standardization and harmonization status with commutable EQA-samples--five year experience from the Netherlands.

Background: Equivalence of results among laboratories is a major mission for medical laboratories. Monitoring of test equivalence is structurally integrated in the Dutch External Quality Assessment (EQA) scheme since 2005. Commutable poolsera, single donation "spy" sera and biological variance tolerance limits have been introduced in the EQA scheme for evaluation of the degree of test equivalence and its determinants.

Practical application of Sigma Metrics QC procedures in clinical chemistry.

Background: Many labs have not yet selected the most appropriate Westgard Quality Control (QC) rule for each test. This is mainly due to the apparent complexity of the matter.

Methods: From the Westgard OPSpecs Charts QC planning tool and the Sigma Metrics formula's it was deduced that every Westgard rule has its own Sigma value.