Probability and the Westgard Rules.

Tomás A Carroll; Heather A Pinnick; Wallace E Carroll

Home/Archive/PubMed

PubMed · 12661907

Probability and the Westgard Rules.

Tomás A Carroll·Heather A Pinnick·Wallace E Carroll

View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Shewhart introduced industry to the concept of three standard deviation (3S) limits for quality control and Levey, Jennings, Henry, and Westgard adapted this idea to clinical laboratory medicine. Westgard ultimately formulated a system of rules to enable clinical laboratory scientists to decide whether the tests they were doing were "in control" and reportable, or "out of control." The present communication explains mathematically how Shewhart's "beyond 3S" (ie, > 1 chance in 370) is an indication for corrective laboratory action.

Explore related subjects

Chemistry, Clinical Laboratories Probability Quality Assurance, Health Care Quality Control Reference Standards Journal Article

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeX RIS

Tomás A Carroll, Heather A Pinnick, Wallace E Carroll. 2003. Probability and the Westgard Rules.. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12661907/

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

PubMed2006

Development of a filter paper method potentially applicable to mass and high-risk urinary screenings for Fabry disease.

Fabry disease is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder of glycosphingolipid catabolism resulting from a deficiency of the enzyme alpha-galactosidase A, and leading to the progressive accumulation of one biomarker, globotriaosylceramide (Gb(3)), predominantly elevated in the urine of these patients. We have developed a technique for the analysis of total Gb(3) in urine samples collected on filter paper, using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with a triple quadrupole instrument. Existing Gb(3) techniques being both time- and labour-intensive, this filter paper method eliminates lipid extraction, glycolipid isolation, centrifugation and evaporation steps, while maintaining sensitivity and efficiency. The stability of Gb(3) on filter paper was good for a 7-week period under different temperature conditions. Normal control values were established and the technique was tested with anonymized samples from Fabry hemizygotes and heterozygotes. The levels of total Gb(3) in all classical hemizygotes were well above the control values and all heterozygotes, except two nonexcretors, were above the reference level. The proposed novel filter paper method favours the collection, storage and shipment of samples. It is simple and efficient for a feasibility study, potentially applicable to the determination of total urinary Gb(3) in the newborn population as part of a screening programme, and could also be used in high-risk screening laboratories. Since the incidence of Fabry disease is hard to establish, owing to the heterogeneous clinical expression of the visible phenotype, this feasibility study could help determine its actual incidence in the Quebec population.

Chemistry, Clinical↗

PubMed2006

Position statement: Utility, limitations, and pitfalls in measuring testosterone: an Endocrine Society position statement.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to evaluate the current state of clinical assays for total and free testosterone. PARTICIPANTS: The five participants were appointed by the Council of The Endocrine Society and charged with attaining the objective using published data and expert opinion. EVIDENCE: Data were gleaned from published sources via online databases (principally PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, Google Scholar), the College of American Pathologists, and the clinical and laboratory experiences of the participants. CONSENSUS PROCESS: The statement was an effort of the committee and was reviewed in detail by each member. The Council of The Endocrine Society reviewed a late draft and made specific recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: Laboratory proficiency testing should be based on the ability to measure accurately and precisely samples containing known concentrations of testosterone, not only on agreement with others using the same method. When such standardization is in place, normative values for total and free testosterone should be established for both genders and children, taking into account the many variables that influence serum testosterone concentration.

Chemistry, Clinical↗

PubMed2006

Critical assessment of chitotriosidase analysis in the rational laboratory diagnosis of children with Gaucher disease and Niemann-Pick disease type A/B and C.

Laboratory diagnosis of lysosomal storage disorders, especially sphingomyelinase deficiency (Niemann-Pick disease type A/B) and Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) can be challenging. We therefore aimed to analyse the feasibility of first-step screening with specific chitotriosidase cut-off values in children </= 10 years of age with visceral organomegaly (hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, or hepatosplenomegaly) in whom a storage disorder was suspected. We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional, referral, single-centre study to assess diagnostic test properties in 106 individuals. Median chitotriosidase activity was 12 655 nmol/h per ml (interquartile range 4693-20982) in Gaucher disease (GD); 780 (465-1298) in SMD (sphingomyelinase deficiency); 925 (319-1215) in NPC and 50 (29-54) in patients with miscellaneous diseases. To restrict the differential diagnosis to GD, SMD or NPC, chitotriosidase activity above 200 nmol/h per ml had a sensitivity of 96%, specificity of 100%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 100%, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 95%. For GD alone, chitotriosidase activity above 4000 nmol/h per ml had a sensitivity of 77%, specificity of 100%, PPV of 100% and NPV of 92%. Of the 44 patients analysed, 4.5% were homozygous and 36.4% heterozygous for chitotriosidase gene duplication. Adjusting for the chitotriosidase genotype, chitotriosidase activities were higher in GD type III than in GD type I. We conclude that, in the above setting, the degree of elevation of chitotriosidase activity can be applied to increase the likelihood of GD, SMD, or NPC and guide the choice of the appropriate confirmatory assay.

Chemistry, Clinical↗