Laboratory Medicine and Quality Assurance

Table. 1.

Preanalytical quality indicators developed for clinical laboratories in Korea

KEQAS no. Priority IFCC indicator IFCC code Preanalytical quality indicator Reporting
Numerator Denominator
1 A Misidentification errors Pre-MisS Misidentification errors Number of misidentified samples - Total number of samples
- Total number of cancelled samples.
Number of misidentified requests - Total number of requests
- Total number of cancelled requests
- Total number of referrals
2 A NA NA Test cancellation rate Total number of cancelled requests - Total number of samples
3 A Hemolyzed sample Pre-HemV Hemolyzed samples detected by visual inspection Number of clinical chemistry samples with hemolysis detected by visual inspection (including those detected by optical camera) - Total number of clinical chemistry samples
- Total number of cancelled clinical chemistry samples
Number of clinical chemistry test requests with hemolysis detected by visual inspection (including those detected by optical camera) - Total number of clinical chemistry requests
- Total number of cancelled clinical chemistry requests
4 A Hemolyzed sample Pre-HemI Hemolyzed samples detected by H-index Number of clinical chemistry samples with free Hb >0.5 g/L detected by automated H-index - Total number of clinical chemistry samples
- Total number of cancelled clinical chemistry samples
Number of clinical chemistry requests with free Hb >0.5 g/L detected by automated H-index - Total number of clinical chemistry requests
- Total number of cancelled clinical chemistry requests
5 A Hemolyzed sample Pre-HemR Rejected samples due to hemolysis Number of clinical chemistry samples rejected due to hemolysis - Total number of clinical chemistry samples
Number of clinical chemistry test requests rejected due to hemolysis - Total number of clinical chemistry requests
6 Hemolyzed sample Pre-HemR Recollected samples due to hemolysis Number of recollected samples due to hemolysis - Total number of clinical chemistry samples
Number of recollected samples due to hemolysis - Total number of clinical chemistry requests
7 A Incorrect fill level Pre-InsV Incorrect fill level Number of samples with insufficient sample volume - Total number of samples
- Total number of cancelled samples
Number of requests with insufficient sample volume - Total number of requests
- Total number of cancelled requests
8 A Incorrect fill level Pre-SaAnt Inappropriate sample-anticoagulant volume ratio Number of coagulation test samples with inappropriate sample-anticoagulant volume ratio - Total number of coagulation test samples
- Total number of cancelled coagulation test samples
Number of coagulation test requests with inappropriate sample-anticoagulant volume ratio - Total number of coagulation test requests
- Total number of cancelled coagulation test requests
9 A Clotted samples Pre-Clot Clotted CBC samples Number of CBC samples clotted - Total number of CBC samples
- Total number of cancelled CBC samples
Number of CBC requests clotted - Total number of CBC requests
- Total number of cancelled CBC requests
10 A Incorrect sample type Pre-WroCo Incorrect sample type Number of samples collected in wrong container - Total number of samples
- Total number of cancelled samples
Number of requests collected in wrong container - Total number of requests
- Total number of cancelled requests
11 B Sample recollection Out-RecLab Recollected samples (due to errors caused inside the laboratory) Number of patients that underwent sample recollection for errors that caused inside the laboratory - Total number of patients with test requests
12 B Sample recollection Out-RecOff Recollected samples (due to errors caused outside the laboratory) Number of patients that underwent sample recollection for errors that caused outside the laboratory - Total number of patients with test requests
13 B Unsuitable samples for transportation and storage problems Pre-DamS Unsuitable samples for damage during transportation Number of samples damaged during transportation - Total number of samples
14 B Unsuitable samples for transportation and storage problems Pre-ExcTim Unsuitable samples for excessive transportation time Number of samples with excessive transportation time between sample collection and reception at the laboratory. - Total number of samples with available transportation time information.
15 B Incorrect sample type Pre-WroTy Incorrect sample type Number of samples of wrong or inappropriate sample matrix (e.g., whole blood instead of plasma) - Total number of samples
16 C Unsuitable samples for transportation and storage problems Pre-NotRec Samples not received Number of samples not received - Total number of samples
- Total number of referred samples
17 C Contaminated samples Pre-Cont Contaminated samples (excluding microbiological samples) Number of contaminated samples (samples contaminated by infusion), drugs, anticoagulants (EDTA, citrate), parenteral nutrition, X-ray contrast material, etc.) - Total number of samples (excluding microbiological samples)
- Total number of referred samples
18 C Unsuitable samples for transportation and storage problems Pre-InTem Samples transported at inappropriate temperature Number of samples transported at inappropriate temperature - Total number of samples
- Total number of referred samples for which the transport temperature is checked
19 C Inappropriate time in sample collection Pre-InTime Samples collected at inappropriate time of sample collection Number of samples collected at inappropriate time of sample collection - Total number of samples
- Total number of samples requiring a specified time for data collection.
- Total number of cancelled samples
20 C Unsuitable samples for transportation and storage problems Pre-NotSt Unsuitable samples for storage problems (temperature, time, etc.) Number of samples not properly stored before analysis - Total number of samples
- Total number of cancelled samples
21 C NA NA Samples with inappropriate fasting Number of clinical chemistry samples with inappropriate fasting - Total number of clinical chemistry samples
- Total number of cancelled clinical chemistry samples
22 C NA NA Samples with fibrin clot Number of clinical chemistry samples with fibrin clots - Total number of clinical chemistry samples
- Total number of cancelled clinical chemistry samples
23 C NA NA Samples with reprinted barcode Number of samples with reprinted barcode - Total number of samples
Number of requests with reprinted barcode - Total number of requests

Abbreviations: KEQAS, Korean Association of External Quality Assessment Service; IFCC, International Federation of Clinical Chemistry; NA, not available; H-index, hemolytic index; Hb, hemoglobin; CBC, complete blood count; EDTA, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid.

Lab Med Qual Assur 2024;46:145~155 https://doi.org/10.15263/jlmqa.2024.46.3.145
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