Recommendations for designing and conducting veterinary clinical pathology biologic variation studies

Abstract

The recent creation of a veterinary clinical pathology biologic variation website has highlighted the need to provide recommendations for future studies of biologic variation in animals in order to help standardize and improve the quality of published information and to facilitate review and selection of publications as standard references. The following recommendations are provided in the format and order commonly found in veterinary publications. A checklist is provided to aid in planning, implementing, and evaluating veterinary studies on biologic variation (Appendix S1). These recommendations provide a valuable resource for clinicians, laboratorians, and researchers interested in conducting studies of biologic variation and in determining the quality of studies of biologic variation in veterinary laboratory testing.

ASVCP guidelines: Allowable total error hematology

“…Biological variation : Expected physiologic fluctuations of a measurand, which can include variation within an individual or between individuals …”

Clinical application of biological variation data to facilitate interpretation of canine and feline laboratory results

“…It is most commonly calculated using the inverted formula (Freeman et al . 2017): …”

“…The Index of Individuality (II) expresses the relationship between CV I and CV G . It is most commonly calculated using the inverted formula (Freeman et al 2017):…”

“…Pooled patient samples are preferred (Freeman et al . 2017) as the matrix of quality control materials may be different from patient serum, or it may contain stabiliser, additives, etc. that may have an effect (Westgard et al .…”

“…Each laboratory should estimate its CV A from replicate analyses or from quality control studies using either pooled patient samples or quality control materials, with concentrations at or near clinical decision limits of interest (Flatland et al 2010). Pooled patient samples are preferred (Freeman et al 2017) as the matrix of quality control materials may be different from patient serum, or it may contain stabiliser, additives, etc. that may have an effect (Westgard et al 2008).…”