Abstract

FLAGEL, María Soledad; TAU, Lorena; VENTIMIGLIA, Fernando Daniel  and  FINK, Nilda Ester. Iron serum determination: evolution of performance of participating laboratories of the PEEC-Hematology Sub-Program . Acta bioquím. clín. latinoam. [online]. 2017, vol.51, n.3, pp.387-394. ISSN 0325-2957.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the evolution of the analytical performance of serum iron determination by the laboratories participating in the Sub- Program PEEC-Hematology (PEEC-H) EQAS Program Prof. Dr. Daniel Mazziotta of the Argentine Biochemical Foundation. To this end, results of serum iron determinations from July 2010 to July 2015 (surveys #77, 81, 85, 89, 93 and 97) were used. Up to 2011, there were methods both with and without deproteinization, the latter being the most used (94%). In 2015, only one commercial method without deproteinization was used, with colorimetric methods employed in 95% of the cases. In all the surveys analyzed, the acceptable DRP was ±10%. In surveys 77, 81 and 85, 56% of the laboratories had an acceptable performance percentage, and it evolved to a 70% in the surveys 89, 93 and 97, three years later. According to these considerations, there is no need to adjust the acceptable DRP for the iron analyte. In this way, laboratories will continue to work in order to improve their performance.

Keywords : External Quality Assesment Program Prof. Dr. Daniel Mazziotta of the Argentine Biochemical Foundation; Quality control; Serum iron; Aceptable relative percentage deviation; Ferrozine; Ferrene; Chromogenic; Microcytic anemias.