Page 71 - The Veterinary Laboratory and Field Manual 3rd Edition

40 Susan C. Cork, Roy Halliwell and Willy Schauwers

to provide an accurate diagnosis. Supply 1.6 Quality assurance and control
all necessary information on the laboratory
submission form or a supplementary disease Quality control and assurance are the opera-
report form. Always make note of any cur- tional techniques used to ensure, demonstrate
rent or previous treatment used, for example, and provide confidence that laboratory test
antibiotic treatment may interfere with the results are accurate and compare well with those
culture of a pathogen even if the antibiotic of other laboratories.
therapy was not successful in eliminating it. A reliable, high-quality laboratory service is
6 Alert the laboratory achieved and sustained by implementing quality
If you let the laboratory know that a submis- control of laboratory tests, but this is only part
sion is coming, testing procedures can be of what is needed. A quality management system
prepared in time for when the sample arrives. (QMS) is a more comprehensive and user-ori-
entated approach to quality. A QMS addresses
One of the most frequently asked questions is, those areas of laboratory practice that most
‘What samples should I collect in order for the influence how a laboratory service functions and
laboratory to be able to diagnose a specific dis- uses its resources to provide a high-quality and
ease?’ Although some diseases are diagnosed relevant service.
based on gross examination of lesions in spe- A QMS incorporates both the technical
cific tissues most are not. Therefore, it is better aspects of quality assurance (pre-analytical,
to collect specimens in a systematic manner. analytical and post-analytical stages) and those
Examples of the samples that should be col- aspects of quality that are important to the users
lected for particular clinical presentations are of a laboratory service, such as information pro-
provided in Chapter 8 and in Appendix A2. vided, its correctness and presentation, the time
The following tissues are considered ‘core’ it takes to get a test result, and the professional-
for general disease diagnostic purposes: ism and helpfulness of laboratory staff.
A QMS includes the following:
• spleen
• liver • the correct use of the laboratory equipment
• kidney • ensuring a timely and reliable service to cli-
• lung ents (for example, the livestock extension
• lymph nodes, for example, prescapular or staff/veterinary staff)
prefemoral lymph node, or any visceral lymph • efficient management of finances, equipment
nodes that look abnormal and supplies
• tied off piece of small intestine and large • the training and competence of staff
intestine, 3 cm each (tied off at both ends). • quality assurance to obtain correct test
results (this often requires sending duplicate
For transportation of samples to reference samples to other laboratories so that results
laboratories the packaging must comply with can be compared)
domestic transportation requirements and • continuous improvement in quality (this may
should be appropriately labelled. For interna- involve accreditation visits).
tional shipments, there are hazardous goods
regulations and packaging standards that must
be followed and which are well outlined by the
International Air Transport Association (IATA) .
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