[SFBC Working Group on sources of errors in laboratory medicine: objectives and key areas of work].

Laboratory medicine plays a crucial role in patient care, contributing to approximately 70 % of clinical decisions. In collaboration with clinicians, laboratory medicine specialists perform analyses that are useful for diagnosis, screening and prevention. Laboratories are known for their efficiency, which is reached through a rigorous quality system.

Prospective comparison of Abbott RealTime HBV DNA and Versant HBV DNA 3.0 assays for hepatitis B DNA quantitation: impact on HBV genotype monitoring.

The quantitation of human hepatitis B virus (HBV) in the serum of infected patients is recommended to characterize the course of chronic HBV infection. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the performance of the Abbott RealTime PCR assay for HBV DNA quantitation by comparison with the standard Versant HBV DNA 3.0 assay.