![]()
41
| 1 | 2007
Klinisk Biokemi i Norden
ratory, when it has been placed in an instrument
and which instrument, who has done the analyses
and when the results have been transferred to the
hospital system and by whom. The new ISO/CEN
standard 15189 requires this information. Who will
write such requirements for the airlines?
After the luggage incident my South American
adventure was less stressful. I attended the congress
after my first EB meeting. There were about 1000
participants from all over South America and the
Spanish speaking world. There was also a small
exhibition where mostly local instruments and rea-
gents were shown.
Some symposia were in English, but mostly they
were in Spanish, with sometimes simultaneous
translation. It is amazing how universal the langu-
age of clinical chemistry is; I could understand
quite well Spanish lectures on maternal first trimes-
ter screening for Down’s syndrome. Very popular
topics included lectures on internal and external
quality assessments, training and accreditation. In
that part of the world a big problem is the lack
of quality control materials to be used as internal
quality control samples. During the closing cere-
monies a prize was given to one of the laboratories
that had participated in a survey. The prize was one
year’s external quality control samples! Other pri-
zes were also given for best posters and the prizes
were books on different areas of clinical chemistry,
microbiology etc.
After the congress I had a chance to visit Iguassu
Falls in both Argentinian and Brasilian sides.
Looking at those Falls one could feel the force of
Mother Nature, what a magnificent experience!!
Downtown Asuncion. 80% of cars are stolen. There is
only one law in Paraguay: there is no law.
Iguassu Falls
Beautiful, colourful Paraguay
Congress venue
