mens, requests or reports can be a threat to the
health of the patient and all actions should be
taken in order to detect and eliminate such
errors.
PARAGRAPH 4
Good laboratory practice should be maintained
within the laboratory. In addition to recom–
mendations issued by international bodies (ref.
l, 3, 4, 5, 8) the management of the laboratory
ought to write down some rules taking local
conditions and premises into consideration. In
general clinicallaboratories have direct or indi–
rect economical responsibilities which should
be fulfilled. Larger laboratories should provide
annual reports about their activities (ref.
9).
These ought also to include information about
the quality of the performance of the laborato–
ry.
PARAGRAPH 5
The main function of the interna! quality con–
tro! program of the laboratory is to minimize
imprecision and to "stabilize" the long term
performance of the laboratory. In aiming at re–
ducing the distance between the reported values
and the "conventional true values" (ISO) care–
ful calibration and participation in interiabara–
tory programs for quality assurance are valu–
able ingredients.
Klinisk Kemi i Norden
REFERENCES
l.
de Verdier C-H, Aronsson T, Nyberg A, eds. Qual–
ity control-Efforts to find an efficient strategy.
Scand J Clin Lab Invest 1984; 44, Suppl 172:
1-241.
2. de Verdier C-H, Haabrekke O, Leskinen E, Uldall
A. Quality assurance in clinical chemistry-time to
go from theory into action. Scand J Clin Lab In–
vest 1986; 46: 393-396.
3. NCCLS. Physician's Office Laboratory Proeecture
Manual. Section: Ensuring the Quality of Labora–
tory Results. Tentative Guidelines. 1989.
4. ECCLS. Standing Action Committee on Good
Laboratory Practice in Decentralized Clinicallab–
oratories. Part 7. Quality requirements and assur–
ance in decentralised clinical laboratories. Draft.
1988.
5. ECCLS guidelineson good practice in clinicallab–
oratories.
I.
Clinical chemistry. By M Hjelm and
C-H de Verdier. Draft 1989.
6. H0rder M, ed. Assessing quality requirements in
clinical chemistry. Scand
J
Clin Lab lnvest 1980;
40, Suppl 155: 1-144.
7. Aronsson T, de Verdier C-H, Groth T. Factors
influencing the quality of analytical methods-a
system analysis with use of computer simulation.
Clin Chem 1974; 20: 738-748.
8. Uldall
A.
Quality assurance in clinical chemistry.
Scand J Clin Lab lnvest 1987; 47, Suppl 187:
1-95.
9. NORDKEM Publications. Disposition för verk–
samhetsberättelser från kliniskt-kemiska labora–
torier i Norden. Rekommendation från Nordkem.
1986.
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