Red cell or serum folate? Results from the National Pathology Alliance benchmarking review
Journal Title: Clinical Molecular Pathology - Year 2003, Vol 56, Issue 12
Abstract
Over the three year study period, approximately 80 National Health Service trusts each year submitted data on the number of red cell and serum/plasma folate tests that were undertaken in their department. As a result of trust mergers, the number of trusts entering data for 2001–2002 was reduced to 65. Of these, 45 laboratories undertook serum and red cell folate assays. Figure 1​1 shows the data for these 45 trusts for the year 2001–2002. In one cluster B hospital the low volume of folate tests does not register on the chart. As can be seen from fig 1​1, , there were three main diagnostic testing strategies used by laboratories. Nineteen laboratories relied primarily on serum folate only, with less than 10% of samples also being analysed for red cell folate. Twenty one laboratories relied primarily on the measurement of red cell folate, again with less than 10% of samples also being analysed for serum folate, and five laboratories tested most samples for both red cell and serum folates. The testing strategies that were in place did not seem to be related to the type of hospital. Further analysis of trends in diagnostic testing strategies showed there had been no change in clinical practice in the laboratories over the three years of the study period.
Authors and Affiliations
M Galloway, L Rushworth
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP679622
- DOI 10.1136/jcp.56.12.924
- Views 33
- Downloads 0
Uteroplacental vasculature
Renal disease in pregnancy
Immunogenetics of trophoblastic tumours
Carcinoma metastasis to unexpected synchronous lymphoproliferative disorder: report of three cases and review of literature
Metastasis of one cancer to another cancer is rare. This report describes three cases in which low grade non-Hodgkin lymphomas were incidentally detected during the examination of lymph nodes removed as part of treatment...
Fetal blood sampling and gas exchange