Product Focus: Randox Cardiac
Product Focus: Randox Cardiac
With World Heart Month running throughout February, we have decided to focus this month on Cardiac Markers. Over the next few weeks, we will be taking a look at some of the QC solutions available from Randox.
The accurate diagnosis of a potentially life threatening cardiac event is essential in order to avoid misdiagnosis and/or incorrect treatment. Acusera True Third Party Cardiac Controls have been designed to cover a wide range of cardiac markers at clinical decision levels eliminating the need for additional low level controls at extra expense. Available in a choice of liquid ready-to-use and lyophilised formats, they are ideal for use at the point-of-care and in the lab. Manufactured from 100% human serum, a matrix similar to that of the patient is guaranteed.
Week 1- Acusera Tri-Level Cardiac Control
The Randox Acusera Tri-Level Cardiac control is designed for use in the routine monitoring of both accuracy and precision. Assayed instrument and method specific target values are provided for 7 cardiac markers along with temperature specific target values for CK and CK-MB.
Features & Benefits
- Lyophilised for enhanced stability
- 100% human serum
- Assayed target values provided for 7 cardiac markers
- Cut off levels for Troponin I and T in line with internationally recommended levels
- Stable to expiry date at 2°C – 8°C
- Reconstituted stability of 5 days at 2°C – 8°C or 4 weeks at -20°C
Week 2- Acusera Liquid Cardiac Control
The Randox Acusera Liquid Cardiac control is designed to be both convenient and easy to use. The liquid ready-to-use format makes it ideal for both clinical laboratories and point-of-care testing. Assayed, instrument specific values are provided for an impressive 8 cardiac markers including, NT-ProBNP, D-dimer and Troponin ensuring consolidation and flexibility. Furthermore an open vial stability of 30 days for all analytes helps to keep waste and costs to a minimum.
Features & Benefits
- Liquid ready-to-use
- 100% human serum
- Assayed target values provided for 8 cardiac markers
- Cut off levels for Troponin I and T in line with internationally recommended levels
- Stable to expiry date at 2°C – 8°C
- Open vial stability of 30 days at 2°C – 8°C for all analytes
Week 3 – RIQAS Cardiac Programme
RIQAS is the largest international External Quality Assessment Scheme, with more than 40,000 participants in over 124 countries. World renowned for reducing the number of individual programmes required by even the most demanding laboratories, RIQAS covers 360 parameters across 32 flexible multi-parameter programmes. Effective consolidation in this way will not only deliver real cost savings but free up storage space and ultimately reduce the time spent preparing multiple samples at each survey.
The RIQAS Cardiac EQA programme is designed to monitor the performance of up to 7 clinically significant cardiac markers. Two flexible reporting options are available to suit the needs of all laboratory sizes.
Features & Benefits
- Accredited to ISO/IEC 17043
- Lyophilised for enhanced stability
- 100% human serum
- Bi-weekly reporting
- Submit results and view reports online via RIQAS.Net
- Register up to five instruments at no extra cost
Week 4 – Acusera 24.7 Live Online Version 2.0
Acusera 24•7 Live Online is an interlaboratory data management and peer group reporting package complementing the Acusera range of true third party quality controls. Designed to assist in the management of daily QC activities, Acusera 24•7 Live Online will help to meet regulatory requirements, improve error detection, reduce false rejections and ensure accurate patient results.
Delivering an online platform for effective QC data management, our software provides unique access to instantly updated real-time peer group data, automatically generated QC statistics, QC multi-rules, interactive charts and comprehensive reports.
Acusera 24•7 Live Online is an essential QC tool for laboratories of all sizes. By participating and implementing our software your laboratory will be able to do the following;
- Quickly identify trends, system errors and reagent issues, minimising expensive repeat tests
- Automatically calculate Measurement Uncertainty, Total Error and Sigma Metrics
- Bridge the gap between daily quality control and external quality assessment
- Improve EQA performance by eliminating any undetected bias
- Facilitate regulatory compliance
- Reduce false rejections through the use of QC multi-rules
- Increase confidence in assigned QC target values
- Speed up troubleshooting processes, shortening delays in reporting
ISO 22870- Are you meeting expectations?
Quality control has recently become crucial in the Point-of-Care (POC) field due to the introduction of ISO 22870 regulations and increased focus in patient safety. Quality control is critical in reducing turnaround time and saving money.
There is now an international standard specifically for POC testing, ISO 22870. This standard is intended to be used in conjunction with the standard for medical laboratories, ISO 15189. This means that aspects relating to Point-of-Care such as training, competence and documentation should be carefully planned, implemented and governed by a quality management system and there is a requirement for QC and EQA to be performed, where available.
POCT is typically carried out by non-laboratory staff, therefore when selecting the appropriate IQC material for POCT there are a number of key characteristics you must consider;
- Format of the material – QC material employed should be liquid stable, requiring no preparation, reducing the likelihood of human error and increasing convenience.
- Value assignment – all values must be accurately assigned. Look out for suppliers who use a large number of independent labs to determine the target value.
- Third party controls – manufactured independently from any specific instrument or method third party controls are designed to deliver unbiased performance assessment.
- Storage – for convenience controls should be liquid stable, as these can be easily stored in a fridge at 2oC – 8oC and won’t need to be shipped on dry ice.
- Stability – a control with a good open vial stability will mean that it can be used for longer with less waste produced, meaning it is more convenient for the medical professional to use.
- Transportation– the liquid stable controls can be conveniently stored at 2oC – 8oC reducing the need to ship on dry ice
- Minimal training– easy to use with little training required, therefore suitable for use by non-laboratory personnel
In addition to IQC, External Quality Assessment (EQA) must also be employed to ensure a comprehensive review of test system performance. It is best to select a programme that offers frequent reporting with a large database of users. This will enable rapid error identification and ultimately accurate and reliable patient testing.
Our Acusera liquid ready-to-use controls include:
- Blood Gas Control– A liquid stable control provided in easy to open ampoules for added convenience and ease-of-use. Assayed, method specific target values are provided for the most common blood gas instruments.
- Liquid Cardiac Control– This is a highly convenient liquid stable cardiac control offering excellent consistency. Assayed, instrument specific target values are provided for 8 cardiac markers, enabling flexibility and consolidation.
- Liquid Urinalysis Control– Liquid control that is compatible for use with both manual and automated methods of dipstick analysis. Available in convenient 12ml vials or 25ml dropper bottles with assayed ranges provided for 13 parameters covering the chemical examination of urine specimens.
- Liquid HbA1c Control– This is another highly convenient liquid ready-to-use control. With an open vial stability of 30 days, keeping waste and costs to a minimum.
Complementary EQA programmes are also available to meet the needs of ISO 22870.
Cardiac Plus External Quality Assessment
The RIQAS Cardiac Plus EQA programme is designed to monitor the performance of 11 clinically significant cardiac markers. All samples are supplied in a lyophilised format.
- Accredited to ISO/IEC 17043
- Lyophilised
- 100% human serum
- Monthly reporting
- Submit results and view reports online via RIQAS.Net
- Register up to five instruments at no extra cost
| Cat No | Kit Size | Frequency | Cycle Start | Parameters | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RQ9190 | 12 x 3ml | Monthly (1 x 12 month cycle) | January | 11 parameters | |
Parameters
- CK Total
- CK-MB Activity
- CK-MB Mass
- D-Dimer
- Digoxin
- Homocysteine
- hsCRP
- Myoglobin
- NT-proBNP
- Troponin I
- Troponin T
Please note, product availability may vary country to country.