eluation competency evaluation

[jerriemc]

What do you use to evaluate competency on eluations. We hardly ever do an eluation, but we need a way to access competency twice a year.

Thanks

Jerrie

[L106]

If you need to do elutions only rarely, perhaps you would want to consider have only a few techs who are approved to do them. For competency assessment, it is very easy to make up an appropriate sample by adding Anti-D to an Rh Positive EDTA specimen (and incubate at 37 C for 30-60 minutes.)

Donna

[Malcolm Needs ☆]

I agree entirely with Donna (as usual).

[L106]

Aww....Thanks, Malcolm!

[Malcolm Needs ☆]

I sometimes say things that are completely wrong Donna, but I NEVER say things I don't mean.

[jerriemc]

Thanks, I had thought about doing that I just wasn't sure how CAP would look at it if all our competency assesments turned out to be anti-D. I thought about using some that were negative just to make it a little more unknown.

Jerrie

[Malcolm Needs ☆]

Thanks, I had thought about doing that I just wasn't sure how CAP would look at it if all our competency assesments turned out to be anti-D. I thought about using some that were negative just to make it a little more unknown.

Jerrie

Well yes, I think I can see from where you are coming, but, actually, that would have told you (and them) nothing, because you wouldn't then know if your elution technique wasn't working or that there was nothing to elute in the first place. Really, the only thing that you need to prove is that your elution technique really is working and, frankly, anti-D is as good as nay other antibody for that (unless, of course, as some people would argue, you need to test against ABO antibodies as well and compare it with the Lui technique - my advice is to not go there!!!!!!!!!!!!!).

[jerriemc]

Thanks Malcom

[DPruden]

CAP has an elution survey that you can purchase, but it is fairly pricy. We discovered that it was actually cheaper to send the few elutions to our reference lab than to continue testing them ourselves. And we did not do them often enough to truly maintain a comfort level among the techs doing the testing, so it worked out well.

[L106]

That's one very viable solution, Diana.

We purchase the CAP Elution Survey, which contains 2 samples. It works fine, but I am disappointed that they are not very generous with the sample volume. (You can do 2 elutions per sample, max.)

Donna

[Eagle Eye]

For alternate proficiency you can make up specimen and give it to two techs as a split sample and compare the result.

Adding anti-D to RH Pos cells is the best was to make the sample. We do the same for our MT students.

[Mabel Adams]

If you change the antibody from anti-D you are really testing their antibody ID skills, not the making of the eluate. I think competency is to make sure that they can follow the procedure and get the right answers. I guess if you think some of them will "sink test" if they know what the answer is supposed to be you might need to keep it secret and vary the antibody, but I hope that isn't a worry.

[L106]

You're right, Mabel. If you have any expired reagents for the other Rh antibodies

(Anti-c, Anti-E, Anti-C, or Anti-e), they work just fine, too.

(I often coat e Positive red cells with Anti-e when our students need to practice doing elutions and working up Warm Auto-Antibodies.)

Donna

[jerriemc]

Mabel,

I honestly don't think any of my techs would do a sink test. I was just concerned how CAP inspectors would look at it if they all came out to be anti D. We had some really picky CAP inspectors last time and that was my worry. Thanks for your input.

[Mabel Adams]

Yeah, picky inspectors is more likely than unethical techs, I'm certain.

[vam3401]

Are you talking about Comptency of the staff OR Proficiency testing?

[L106]

Competency testing of staff.