As an essential requirement to guarantee the quality of the analytical process, all Catlab Areas participate in Intercomparison programs with other Laboratories and External Quality Controls, both national and international. Likewise, all areas validate and verify all the determinations carried out as well as having Internal Control systems to guarantee maximum quality throughout the analytical and extra-analytical process of a clinical laboratory.

The main controls and verifications in which the different areas participate are :

Extraanalytic

  • Daily control of temperatures and transport times of samples (Widerlab).
  • Daily and monthly monitoring of incidents with the extraction centers.
  • Annual monitoring with audits and training of the sample extraction process (PAQC).
  • External control of SEMEDLAB of Preanalytical Quality Assurance (Routine).
  • External control of SEMEDLAB of Preanalytical Quality Assurance (Emergencies).

Biochemistry

  • External Quality Assurance Programs for Clinical Laboratories: Semen Analysis, Urine Drugs of Abuse, Hormones I + Drugs, Hormones II, Serum Indices, Tumor Markers, Urine, Protein, Fecal Occult Blood, Urinary Sediment, Serum.
  • RIQAS Programs: Cardiac Plus, Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH), Immunoassay Specialty I.
  • Biorad EQAS Program: Monthly Clinical Chemistry (BC50).
  • UK-NEQAS Program: 1st Trimester Prenatal Screening.
  • LGC PROFICIENCY TESTING: Immunosuppressant (IPT), Therapeutic Drugs Monitoring (TDM).

Hematology

  • External controls of the FPCQLC : Hemogram, Differential leukocyte count, Automatic reticulocyte count, Peripheral blood smears, Cell morphology, Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, Routine coagulation, Antithrombin III, Activated Protein C resistance, Lupus anticoagulant, Free Protein C and S, Special coagulation factors, Von Willebrand Antigen, Hemoglobins A2 F and S, HbA1c, and Bone Marrow Cytology.
  • External control of the SETS for Immunohematology.
  • External control of D-Dimer from RIQAS.
  • Internal monitoring of all Hemogram equipment using the Caresphere tool.

Immunology

  • External controls of the SEQC, RANDOX and UK NEQAS: Specific proteins, Immunoglobulins, Complement system, Lipids and Monoclonal components.
  • External control by UK NEQAS and Euroimmun d'Autoimmunity.
  • External control of UK NEQAS Allergy.
  • UK NEQAS external control of Oligoclonal Bands in CSF.
  • INSTAND external control of faecal calprotectin.
  • External control by The Alzheimer's Association (University of Gothenburg) for Alzheimer's biomarkers in plasma and CSF.
  • External control UK NEQAS and Center Toulousain Contrôle Qualité en Biolgique Clinique monitoring anti-TNF biological therapies.

Microbiology

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  • External control of the SEIMC (Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology) of Bacteriology, Serology, Mycology, Mycobacteriology and HIV.
  • External control of the FPCQLC of Bacteriology and Serology.
  • External M. tuberculosis sensitivity control of the Mycobacteria Area managed by the Microbiology Service of the Hospital de la Vall d'Hebró.

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Molecular Microbiology

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  • External control of the SEIMC for HIV-1 Viral Load, HCV Viral Load and Genotyping, and HBV Viral Load.
  • External control of the SEIMC for Molecular Microbiology.

Cytometry

  • Quality program of the Laboratory of External Evaluation of Quality in Hematology (LEECH) for Immunophenotyping of Leukemias and Lymphomas.
  • LEECH Quality Program for Immunophenotyping of Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) in B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL).
  • LEECH Quality Program for Immunophenotyping of EMR in Multiple Myeloma.
  • LEECH Quality Program for Immunophenotyping of EMR in Cerebrospinal Fluid.
  • LEECH quality program for Immunophenotyping of Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria.
  • GECLID intercomparison subprogram for the HLA-B27 antigen.
  • GECLID Intercomparison Subprogram for Lymphocyte Subpopulations (T, B and NK Lymphocytes on Single Platform).
  • UKNEQAS external control for the enumeration of CD34+ Hematopoietic Progenitors (Stem Cell in single platform for peripheral blood autotransplantation).
  • Euroflow Quality Program for the performance of the FACS Canto II and FACSLyric configuration, sample preparation and analysis by LST (Lymphocyte Screening Tube).

Genetics

  • Quality control of GECLID and DGKL for HLA typing.
  • DGKL quality controls for molecular genetics of hereditary diseases (HFE, ApoE, thrombophilias,...) and pharmacogenetics determinations.
  • SEHH and UK-NEQAS quality controls for oncohematology molecular and FISH determinations.
  • GenQA quality controls for cytogenetic studies (Karyotypes, Arrays).
  • GenQA quality controls for solid tumor studies (MGMT, IDH,…).
  • GenQA quality controls for NGS studies (germline cancer, epilepsies, movement disorders,...).
  • Genetic counseling quality control.

Urgent Testing

  • External monitoring by FPCQLC for Hematology and Coagulation, Biochemistry serum and urine, Blood Gasses, Drugs of Abuse, Tumor Markers, Hormones, Proteins and serum index.
  • External monitoring by RIQAS from Randox for Cardiac Markers, Immunoassay speciality 1, Líquido Cefaloraquideo.
  • External monitoring by SETS (Sociedad Española de Transfusión Sanguínea) from Biorad for ImmunoHematology.