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Thromb Haemost 1989; 61(02): 301-306
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1646581
Original Article
Schattauer GmbH Stuttgart

The Measurement of Haemostatic Factors in 16 European Laboratories: Quality Assessment for the Multicentre ECAT Angina Pectoris Study

Report from the European Concerted Action on Thrombosis and Disabilities (EGAT)
S G Thompson
1   The Clinical Trials Research Unit, Dept. of Clinical Epidemiology and General Practice, Royal Free Hospital Medical School, London, UK
,
F Duckert
2   The Gerinnungslabor, Kantonsspital, Basle, Switzerland
,
F Haverkate
3   The Gaubius Institute TNO3, Leiden, The Netherlands
,
J M Thomson
4   The UK Reference Laboratory for Anticoagulant Reagents and Controla, Manchester, UK
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received 04 November 1987

Accepted after revision 02 January 1989

Publication Date:
24 July 2018 (online)

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Summary

As part of a European multicentre prospective study involving the measurement of a number of haemostatic factors, a quality assessment (QA) scheme was organized. This paper describes the preparation, design and results of the first Qa exercise, involving 16 European laboratories and 10 haemostatic assays. The design allowed the investigation, for each assay, of the variability between duplicates and the variability between days within each centre, and of the agreement between centres. A graphical presentation of each centre’s performance in comparison to that of others was adopted, which preserved the confidentiality of each centre’s results. The factor VIII clotting activity assay (VIII: C) and the rocket immuno-electrophoresis assays of von Willebrand factor related antigen (vWF R:Ag), antithrombin III, protein C and histidine-rich glycoprotein showed the highest betweenduplicate and between-day coefficients of variation (CVs), whereas the clotting assays of activated partial thromboplastin time and fibrinogen had the lowest CVs. CVs for the enzymatic assays using synthetic substrates of antithrombin III, plasminogen and alpha-2-antiplasmin were between these extremes. The between-centre CVs were high for both the VIII:C and vWFR:Ag assays. The QA exercise showed that, in multicentre studies involving the measurement of haemostatic factors, it is feasible to undertake analysis locally at each centre.

Keywords

External quality assessment - Quality control - Multicentre studies - Haemostatic factor assays
 

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