CLSI EP33 PDF

Use of Delta Checks in the Medical Laboratory, 1st Edition, EP33Ed1E

CLSI EP33 – Use of Delta Checks in the Medical Laboratory, 1st Edition, EP33Ed1E

Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute document EP33—Use of Delta Checks in the Medical Laboratory providesguidance for developing procedures for delta checking and evaluating the differences between consecutive resultsfor the same patient. Delta check alerts refer to situations in which differences between these consecutive resultsexceed specified limits. Such changes may indicate changes in patient conditions or specimen problems (eg, specimenmisidentification, contaminated specimens, hemolyzed specimens). With the growing use of autoverification, deltachecks are increasingly used as one of the tools to identify results that need additional review. This guideline representsa consensus of experts who have reviewed available data on approaches for the use of delta checks. It suggestsapproaches to establishing delta check limits, selecting measurands for which delta checks are useful, developing rulesfor comparing them to previous results, investigating specimens with delta check alerts, and evaluating the effectivenessof the laboratory’s delta check systems.