The Haematology QAP prepares test material in house and requires both blood and blood products. These may be sourced from the Australian Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (ARCBTS), patient donors or spare patient samples. The Haematology QAP also uses unassayed commercial control material as program samples. Programs that use commercial control material are listed below.
The Full Blood Count test material is purchased from R&D Systems and is supplied by Vital Diagnostics in Australia.
The Automated Differential, ESR, Reticulocyte and CD34+ test material is purchased from STRECK Laboratories Inc and is supplied by Diagnostic Solutions in Australia.
The Haemostasis and Additional Factors samples are purchased and supplied by Diagnostica Stago.
The D-Dimer - Option 1 (fully quantitative) test material is from Bio-Rad Laboratories.
The G6PD test material is purchased from Dialab and is supplied by Banksia Scientific in Australia.
Haemoglobinopathy samples may be made in house or purchased from Canterbury Scientific in New Zealand.
All samples are stabilised material with an expiry date.
Blood or plasma that is donated for the preparation of Haematology QAP specimens has to be tested for HIV, Hepatitis B and C.
Samples for the D-Dimer - Option 2 (semi quantitative / fully qualitative), Special Haemostasis and Haemoglobinopathy programs are lyophilised samples and are prepared in house as per Haematology QAP Laboratory Methods.
From 2011 samples for Haemostasis, Additional Factors, D-Dimer, Haemoglobinopathy and G6PD will be dispatched in bulk upon enrolment. Full Blood Count, Automated Differential, ESR, Reticulocyte, Malaria and Morphology samples will be dispatched from the Haematology QAP monthly as per Dispatch Dates listed in the enrolment information booklet sent out each year. Specimens should be stored appropriately in a 2-8oC fridge.
Homogeneity & Stability
The Haematology QAP performs homogeneity and stability testing on representative, randomly selected specimens to ensure their integrity before they are issued to participants.
FBC samples are tested at room temperature over the 14 day testing period to ensure stability of samples. All lyophilised material is tested at room temperature and at 37oC over an 8 day period to ensure stability prior to the dispatch of a survey.
Transit samples, which are sent to two remote centres within Australia are also tested to ensure stability. This is performed with each survey dispatch.
