Ask The Expert

We were cited on a recent inspection regarding expiration dates on our opened kits. What is the best way to keep up with this kind of thing?

Every item within a lab has two expiration dates. One is the printed expiration date and the other is the open expiration date. The printed date is how long the item is useable if stored at the proper temperature unopened. Once an item is opened, inmost cases the expiration is shortened considerably. The manufacturer’s package insert or user’s manual will give you this information.

As an example, most urine dipsticks have about a 14 to 18 month shelf life. However, once opened, they are usually only good for 60 days.

In some cases, even unopened, some items have a varied shelf life depending on storage conditions. Some reagents may be good for six months if stored refrigerated or only 30 days if stored at room temperature.

Always label your kits and tests in use with the date it was opened and the date it will expire after opening.

It is also a good idea to keep a record of when you open a new lot number of anything you use. A lot of the manufacturers require you to run quality control before a new lot number is put into use and new lot numbers will have new expiration dates.

How do you feel about Proficiency Testing for Waived tests? My doctors think it is just an added expense.

First of all, Proficiency testing for Waived tests is usually economical and is sold as a package of tests. I believe that Proficiency testing is absolutely necessary for waived testing and is probably more important that PT for Non-Waived testing. Here are some reasons why:

1. Employee turnover in the physician office usually results in inadequate training for lab tests. PT ensures that the people running the tests know what they are doing. It should be rotated to all individuals performing testing.

2. PT checks both the test and the operator. The test kit can be working properly, but if the operator does not perform the steps properly or skips steps in the procedure, the result will still be flawed. I had a physician tell me once the PT was silly for his test kit for Strep A because the test was foolproof. I told him it was not foolproof if a fool was running the test! If a PT specimen is sent to you that is supposed to be positive for Group A strep and the testing employee gets a negative, the problem is rarely the test kit or the sample. Remember, over 70% or lab errors occur before testing starts.

3. PT can be used for competency evaluations and for training. If you save the leftover samples, you can use them for training purposes. You will have a sample with a known value to use to train a ne employee the proper way to perform a test.

You can also use the specimens as known values to check compentecy for an annual evaluation of competency.

Do lab people ever have any fun or play pranks on each other? We seem like a stiff bunch.

Lab people can be a stiff bunch. We are usually the analytical type, introverted, and keep to ourselves. But, we do have fun also. I once kept resetting a digital scale to read one pound heavier each day when a close friend was on a weight loss kick. He would eat right and exercise and then weigh on our office scales because “they were more accurate than his home scales” After about a week and a half, I had to tell him. He lost additional calories chasing me down the hall.

Lets not forget………………….

National Laboratory Professionals Week 

April24-30, 2011

Show your hard working lab employees how valuable they are. Plan a special lunch; give them a day off, anything means something! Just make sure them know that they are valued and appreciated.