1 – Program overview

This external quality assessment program is designed for the quantitative assessment of CBC analytes with an interlaboratory comparison by peer group and trend monitoring for automated instruments.

Two optional programs are associated with this program:

• EQA - NFR: CBC and reticulocytes in fresh blood
• EQA - RETI: Reticulocytes (stabilised blood)

Participating labs can choose to be assessed for all the analytes of this program, or simply a subset of analytes of interest.

2 – Assessment frequency

Number of surveys per year: 4
Number of control samples per survey: 2
Number of samples per year: 8

3 – List of analytes assessed 

• Leukocytes
• RBC (impedance and optical)
• Haemoglobin
• Haematocrit
• MCV
• MCH
• MCHC
• RDW
• Platelets (impedance and optical)
• MPV

4 – Description of the control samples

Liquid human (Red cells) and animal (leukocytes and platelets) artificial, stabilised control blood samples (ready-to-use 2 mL samples).