Quality Assurance of Serological Reagents

The standard of work performed in any laboratory is determined by the expertise of the staff, the availability of equipment and apparatus, and the quality of reagents used. Without high quality reagents the ability of the staff to perform work of high standard is compromised. Probably in no other area of laboratory medicine does the consequence of a mistake have so great a potential danger to the patient as in the blood bank. There is no way in which a clinician can evaluate the accuracy of a blood group report and in this area clinical judgement counts for nothing. It follows that blood group studies, although simple in principle, are heavy in responsibility. Every precaution to ensure accuracy of results must be taken, and a quality assurance program, designed to confirm the effectiveness of reagents before they are used, is an important aspect. Correct handling and storage of reagents is a part of quality assurance, and will be considered in this review.