Problems are inevitable in quality control (QC). Some problems affecting QC can be avoided simply by:
- performing regularly scheduled cleaning, and
- other maintenance of equipment.
Now is also a good time to remind everyone that proper training (and competency testing) of laboratory staff is required. It does no good to troubleshoot QC scenarios if the staff is not performing the task(s) correctly.
Other problems, though, happen suddenly and require immediate action to resolve an analysis that is "out of control".
- Every clinical laboratory has its own protocol to be followed when controls are outside accepted limits. It is the responsibility of the medical laboratory professional to be familiar with this procedure and follow it explicitly.
- The steps on the next pages are examples of some corrective procedures that a medical laboratory may use to restore precision and accuracy. These include:
1. Check your reagents and controls.
2. Rerun the control that is out-of-range.
3. Run the control using a new unopened bottle of control.
4. Review the calibration of the test instrument.
5. Call the test manufacturer for advice.
