Rate and delta checks compared for selected chemistry tests.

[摘要] We compared delta and "rate" check methods for 12 selected chemistry tests. Rate checks were determined by dividing delta checks by inter-specimen interval time. The delta and rate check methods were based on differences and percent change of untransformed and absolute value-transformed values. The distribution of delta differences was not symmetrical for calcium, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, or phosphorus, which led to different check limits between untransformed and absolute value-transformed methods. The dispersion of rate checks was large. The interval time between two consecutive tests was multimodal, which probably reflected adherence to fixed testing protocols.

[学科分类] 过敏症与临床免疫学