Randox Launches New Ammonia Ethanol EQA Programme on RIQAS

A new Randox External Quality Assurance (EQA) programme monitoring Ammonia and Ethanol will be available on RIQAS from September 2014.

Laboratories may be asked to run ammonia blood tests by doctors when patients experience mental changes, disorientation, sleepiness, or lapse into a coma, to help investigate the cause of the change in consciousness. In patients with stable liver disease, an ammonia blood test may be requested, with other liver function tests, when a patient’s condition deteriorates suddenly. Ethanol tests are carried out to identify alcohol in the patient’s blood, as part of liver function tests.

The new RIQAS programme allows laboratories carrying out Ammonia and Ethanol testing to consolidate their EQA requirements within one programme, saving time and money.

As the world’s largest EQA provider, with over 28000 laboratory participants in over 105 countries, RIQAS users benefit from the largest available database of results and analytical methods, thereby increasing statistical validity. RIQAS currently offers 23 comprehensive EQA programmes covering a wide range of diagnostic testing.

All RIQAS samples on the Ammonia/Ethanol programme are supplied liquid stable for ease of use, at the start of the cycle and will cover a range of clinically significant concentrations, as follows:

Ammonia : 55 - 303 umol/L Ethanol: 0.58 - 3.46 g/l

The programme offers the following features:

• Monthly reporting
• Liquid ready-to-use samples
• Comprehensive yet user friendly reports available within 3 days for quick assessment of performance
• Users can submit reports and view results online via RIQAS.net
• Participants can register up to five instruments at no extra cost.

Coming soon: An EQA programme on Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) will be introduced to RIQAS in 2015. ESR is a simple, non-specific screening test that indirectly measures the presence of inflammation in the body. A RIQAS pilot study is currently being conducted with results expected by the end of the year. The full programme will be distributed in line with the current RIQAS Haematology and Serology programmes from early 2015.

RIQAS (Randox International Quality Assessment Scheme) is accredited to ISO17043:2010. For further information click on the 'request information' tab below or follow the company website link.