Establishing Reference Intervals for Clinical Laboratory Test Results

Establishing reference intervals for clinical laboratory test results: is there a better way?

Reference intervals are essential for clinical laboratory test interpretation and patient care. Methods for estimating them are expensive, difficult to perform, often inaccurate, and nonreproducible. A computerized indirect Hoffmann method was studied for accuracy and reproducibility. The study used data collected retrospectively for 5 analytes without exclusions and filtering from a nationwide...

Establishing pediatric reference intervals: a challenging task.

Defining pediatric reference intervals (RIs) is one of the most difficult tasks in our profession. The continuously changing physiology of growing children makes their laboratory values a moving target. To measure specific analytes in the pediatric age range, one has to consider the interindividual variation of not only the homeostatic set point but also the developmental stage of each individu...

Laboratory Reference Intervals in Africa

Harmonization of Clinical Laboratory Test Results.

Clinical laboratory testing is now a global activity with laboratories no longer working in isolation but as regional and national networks, and often at international levels. We now have all of the electronic gadgetry via internet technology at our fingertips to rapidly and accurately measure and report on laboratory testing but are our test results harmonized?

Harmonization of Clinical Laboratory Test Results

Laboratories may use different analytical methods that may not be harmonized, possibly with different units of reporting. We should not assume that the differing numbers can be directly compared especially if the transfer of results from the laboratory to the report recipient does not highlight differences in units of reporting or in assay methods in use. To Corresponding author: Jillian R. Tat...