Evaluating laboratory key performance using quality indicators in Alexandria University Hospital Clinical Chemistry Laboratories.

BACKGROUND: The performance of clinical laboratories plays a fundamental role in the quality and effectiveness of healthcare. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the laboratory performance in Alexandria University Hospital Clinical Laboratories using key quality indicators and to compare the performance before and after an improvement plan based on ISO 15189 standards. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out on inpatient samples for a period of 7 months that was divided into three phases: phase I included data collection for evaluation of the existing process before improvement (March-May 2012); an intermediate phase, which included corrective, preventive action, quality initiative and steps for improvement (June 2012); and phase II, which included data collection for evaluation of the process after improvement (July 2012-September 2012). RESULTS: In terms of the preanalytical indicators, incomplete request forms in phase I showed that the total number of received requests were 31 944, with a percentage of defected request of 33.66%; whereas in phase II, there was a significant reduction in all defected request items (P<0.001) with a percentage of defected requests of 9.64%. As for the analytical indicators, the proficiency testing accuracy score in phase I showed poor performance of 10 analytes in which total error (TE) exceeded total error allowable (TEa), with a corresponding sigma value of less than 3, which indicates test problems and an unreliable method. The remaining analytes showed an acceptable performance in which TE did not exceed the TEa, with a sigma value of more than 6. Following an intervention of 3 months, the performance showed marked improvement. Error tracking in phase I showed a TE of (5.11%), whereas in phase II it was reduced to 2.48% (P<0.001).For the postanalytical indicators, our results in phase I showed that the percentage of nonreported critical results was 26.07%. In phase II, there was a significant improvement (P<0.001). The percentage of nonreported results was 11.37%, the reasons were either inability to contact the authorized doctor (8.24%), wrong patient identification (1.0%), lack of reporting by lab doctor (1.11%), and finally, lack of reporting by the lab technician (1.03%). CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Standardization and monitoring of each step in the total testing process is very important and is associated with the most efficient and well-organized laboratories.

Usefulness of non-invasive serum markers for predicting liver fibrosis in Egyptian patients with chronic HCV infection.

Accurate monitoring of liver fibrosis changes in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection would be helpful in defining the need to intervene, implement the appropriate response in treatment and to minimize the use of liver biopsy. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic utility of the different serum markers and indices in detecting liver fibrosis in study patients. Initial liver biopsy, routine liver function tests, estimation of hyaluronic acid, MMP-1, and PIIINP levels was performed for 30 Egyptian patients with HCV and 15 controls. Marker algorithms based on common laboratory such APRI score, Fibrotest and Actitest. PIIINP and MMP-1 serum markers were combined and entered into a stepwise logistic regression analysis with formulation of a score equation for fibrosis staging. Combined PIIINP and MMP-1 yielded different cut off scores to estimate two clinically relevant fibrosis stages: "significant fibrosis" versus "extensive fibrosis. Apri score also showed AUC of 1.0 with 100 % sensitivity and specificity to exclude the presence of cirrhosis and was significantly correlated to Metavair fibrosis stage in early fibrosis. On the other hand, PIIINP, Fibrotest and acti test were significantly correlated to Metavair fibrosis stage in both early and late fibrosis. In conclusion, integrating PIIINP/MMP-1 score was able to provide reliable information about the degree of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C patients using different cut-offs values. A combination of liver markers as well as its related indices is an emerging tool to differentiate early from advanced liver fibrosis in HCV patients.