Estimates of intra-individual biological variation in normal subjects have been made for 17 hormones commonly measured for diagnostic purposes and the results have been compared with state-of-the-art analytical imprecision data. The implications of using these results for setting goals for analytical performance are discussed.
WASP Proceedings of the subcommittee on analytical goals. Analytical goals in clinical chemistry: Their relationship to medical care. Am J Clin Pathol1979; 71: 624–30.
2.
HartmannAERossJW. CAP Conference XIII on the evaluation of proficiency testing results for quantitative methods in relation to clinical usefulness: Review and comments. Arch Pathol Lab Med1988; 112: 473–4.
3.
FraserCG. The application of theoretical goals based on biological variation data in proficiency testing. Arch Pathol Lab Med1988; 112: 404–15.
4.
BrowningMCKFordRPCallaghanSJFraserCG. Intra-and inter-individual biological variation of five analytes used in assessing thyroid function: Implications for necessary standards of performance and the interpretation of results. Clin Chem1986; 32: 962–6.
5.
BrowningMCK. Analytical goals for quantities used to assess thyrometabolic status. Ann Clin Biochem1989; 26: 1–12.
6.
BurrinJM. Quality assurance of hormone analysis. Ann Clin Biochem1988; 25: 340–5.
7.
HözelWGE. Intra-individual variation of some analytes in serum of patients with insulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus. Clin Chem1987; 33: 57–61.
8.
CostongsGMPJJansonPCWBasBM. Short-term and long-term intra-individual variations and critical differences of clinical chemistry laboratory parameters. J Clin Chem Clin Biochem1985; 23: 7–16.
9.
WestgardJOGrothT.Power functions for statistical control rules. Clin Chem1979; 25: 863–9.
10.
GrothTFalkHWestgardJO. An interactive computer simulation program for the design of statistical control procedures in clinical chemistry. Comp Prog Biomed1981; 13: 73–86.
11.
FraserCGCummingsSTWikinsonSPNevilleRGBiological variability of 26 clinical chemistry analytes in elderly people. Clin Chem1989; 35: 783–6.
12.
HarrisEK. Effects of intra- and inter-individual variation on the appropriate use of normal ranges. Clin Chem1974; 20: 1635–42.
WestgardJOGrothTH. A predictive value model for quality control: Effects of the prevalence of errors on the performance control procedures. Am J Clin Pathol1983; 80: 49–56.
