Description of Event or Problem · 1
USER REPORTS FAILING THREE EXTERNAL PROFICIENCY SURVEY SAMPLES FOR DIGOXIN, AND WHEN REPEATED GAVE DISCREPANT RESULTS. SURVEY SAMPLES WERE REPEATED THREE TIMES, SAME DAY AS INITIAL RESULT, IN 2008 AND ABOUT 11 DAYS LATER. SURVEY #1: INITIAL RESULT REPORTED GAVE 2.3 NG/ML; REPEATS GAVE 2.1, 3.2 AND 3.0 NG/ML. ACCEPTABLE SURVEY RANGE 2.6 TO 4.0 NG/ML. SURVEY #2: INITIAL RESULT REPORTED GAVE 1.6 NG/ML; REPEATS GAVE 2.0 TWICE AND 2.4 NG/ML. ACCEPTABLE SURVEY RANGE 1.9 TO 3.0 NG/ML. SURVEY #3: INITIAL RESULT REPORTED GAVE 1.3 NG/ML; REPEATS GAVE 1.7, 1.6 AND 1.9 NG/ML. ACCEPTABLE SURVEY RANGE 1.5 TO 2.3 NG/ML. NO PATIENT SAMPLES WERE INVOLVED. ALTHOUGH THE EXACT ROOT CAUSE WAS NOT DETERMINED, THE FIELD SERVICE REP REPLACED THE MEASURING CELL, CLEANED S/R PROBE AND VERIFIED ALIGNMENT OF TUBING FROM MEASURING CELL TO SIPPER NOZZLE AND MIXING SPEED. PERFORMANCE TESTS WERE PERFORMED AND WITHIN SPEC.