What's New: September 2013

Posted by Sten Westgard, MS

Westgard and Westgard contributed an article to the September 2013 issue of Clinical Laboratory News. The article "Total Analytic Error: From Concept to Application" discusses not only the history of this concept but also some of the current debates on how "total" we should be when we talk about "total error."

CLN is a print magazine and had limited space. On the website, we have a bit more room, so we've posted an extended version of the article online.

Should we totally go to the max with Total Analytic Error?

Continuing with our series examining quality requirements and goals and the performance of methods, we turn to another electrolyte, potassium. We examine the different goals offered for potassium, and evaluate what methods are capable of achieving.

Can any method hit the target for Potassium?

Quality of Blood Glucose Meters?

Back in 2010, there was a study of 27 different blood glucose meters that assessed whether or not they were able to achieve the requirements of ISO 15197. More recently, the same authors expanded their study to assess 43 more blood glucose meters, and assess those meters not only against the older ISO 15197 standard, but also the proposed updated version. We review the data to see if newer meters mean better meters.

What's the latest quality assessment of glucose meters? -----