Abstract
M.Tech. (Biomedical Technology)
assurance is a critical aspect in transfusion medicine as it safeguards the wellbeing of patients who need blood transfusion. All testing laboratories should participate in some form of quality assurance programme to ensure that only blood products meeting quality standards are issued to patients. Quality assurance programmes consist of proficiency testing (PT) and Internal quality controls (IQC). Internal quality controls monitor day-to-day accuracy and precision while PT evaluates and monitors the quality of laboratory results and verifies test methods. In transfusion medicine, PT programmes are available for all tests performed, but not available for bacterial culture and identification in transfusion Microbiology. With blood products being susceptible to contamination by bacteria, the unavailability of matrix-equivalent PT programme for transfusion microbiology is a serious concern. Few studies have been conducted for the development of PT programme for Transfusion Microbiology, however none covers the use of correct matrix. A prospective cross-sectional approach was used in this study to determine if a stable matrix equivalent PT programme using pooled platelet (PP) and red blood cell (RBC) concentrates can be developed. Laboratory testing of the matrix-equivalent PT samples was performed by three participant groups between April and June 2021. The laboratory tests included bacterial culture, Gram stain, bacterial identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). The results obtained were statistically analysed using a statistical programme named Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The overall statistical observations indicated strong level of agreement between the researcher and the participant groups. The statistically significant data obtained indicated that the PT matrix was stable and suitable for use in Transfusion Microbiology.