Impact of enzymatic methods for glucose measurement on the performance of clinical laboratories in proficiency testing

Abstract

The present study compares performance scores obtained by clinical laboratories participating in Proficiency Testing schemes for measuring three concentration items of glucose in lyophilized serum, according to the analytical method employed (Oxidase-Peroxidase or Hexokinase-Dehydrogenase). Two distinct scoring criteria guided the evaluation: one based on the consensus value from the participants’ results; and another one that uses parameters exclusively based on the assigned value defined by the reference material. The results indicate that the measuring method employed in laboratory practice significantly affects the uniformity of PT participants’ outcomes. The larger dispersion of data provided by participants using the Oxidase-Peroxidase enzymatic method caused a higher index of evaluation’s inadequacies for this group when the laboratory performance score applies the consensus approach.