External Quality Assessment Scheme for Transfusion Transmissible Infections among Blood Service Facilities in the Philippines, 2015
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21141/pjp.2015.005Keywords:
blood transfusions, human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis, syphilis, malaria, external quality assurance scheme, transfusion transmissible infectionsAbstract
The External Quality Assessment Scheme (EQAS) for Blood Screening Serology aims to raise standards and assess the phases of laboratory testing of blood units.
In 2015, the National Blood Program listed a total of 200 Blood Service Facilities (BSF)147 of which enrolled for EQAS. These participants were given an EQAS panel designed to check the capacity of a BSF to detect the 5 transfusion transmitted infections (HIV, HBV, HCV, Syphilis and Malaria). Panels should be tested how a blood unit is routinely screened to mimic the actual laboratory process. This allows the NRL and participant to check and validate the entire blood unit screening process.
Test results were analyzed by OASYS Canada using the ISO 13528:2005 Robust Statistics method (Huber’s Method) to identify outliers. Data analysis from the test event showed a significant number of participants that reported aberrant results due to errors related to random or systematic errors. This also showed deviations from standard practice recommended by the Department of Health as well as a comparison of different test platforms for blood screening.
Ultimately, the data gathered from the EQAS are used to improve on policies for blood screening and set recommendations for the safety of the Philippine blood supply.
Downloads
References
2. ISO 13528:2015: statistical methods for use in proficiency testing by interlaboratory comparisons
3. Smeh K. Final report multimarker blood screening serology (MMBS4320). NRL Australia: Panel ID 2015-11-11. 14 December 2015.
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Malaria diagnosis (U.S.) – Microscopy. 10 July 2015. http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/diagnosis_treatment/microscopy.html.
5. World Health Organization. Screening donated blood for transfusion - transmissible infections: recommendations. Geneva: WHO Press, 2010.
6. Chaudhary R, Das SS, Ojha S, et al. The external quality assessment scheme: five years’ experience as a participating laboratory. Asian J Transfus Sci. 2010;4(1): 28-30. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2847341. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-6247.59388.
7. Department of Health. DOH Department Circular No. 2013-0132: National Council for Blood Services - technical committee recommendations, strategies, methodologies and algorithms for testing blood units for transfusion transmissible infection. 19 March 2013.
8. Department of Health. DOH Department Memorandum No. 2009-0086B: Amendment to Department Memorandum No. 2009-0086-A entitled, “Implementation of external quality assessment program as regulatory requirement for licensing of clinical laboratories.” 8 September 2014.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
![Creative Commons License](https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-sa/4.0/88x31.png)
The Philippine Journal of Pathology is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Based on works made open access at http://philippinejournalofpathology.org