The Quality of Glucose Testing in Abuja Metropolis

Abstract

Twenty one medical laboratories were selected at random to participate in a prospective, cross-sectional and analytical survey, to assess the quality of glucose testing in Abuja metropolis. Laboratories comprised 6(28.6%) government hospital laboratories (GHL), 7(33.3%) private hospital laboratories (PHL) and 8 (38.1%) private laboratories (PL). Duplicate aliquots (200µl) from a pool of simulated human plasma were distributed to all participating laboratories, along with the protocol design for the study. Analysis of results revealed that there was no significant intergroup laboratory variations in means (X² = 0.04, P_v = 0.975) and coefficient of variations (X² = 0.75, P<sub>v = 0.375), relative to the metropolis values (9.2 + 0.8mmol/L; 8.3%). Though the quality of glucose testing in the metropolis was found to meet the international proficiency testing criterion of less than 10% coefficient of variation, the degree of interlaboratory bias about the metropolis mean was 2.6 folds significantly higher (X² = 12.8, Pv = 0.005), than the expected analytical requirement adjusted for this study. Inadequate working knowledge of analytical management tools and use of unqualified manpower, were identified as the major factors promoting gross interlaboratory bias in Abuja metropolis.

Keywords: Glucose, analytical quality, Abuja.

Journal of Medical Laboratory Sciences Vol. 14 (2) 2005: pp. 23-28</sub>