A couple of patients with extremely elevated results provoked this question.
CK of approx 80,000
RF of approx 3,500
Automated methods state limits of detection, both lower and upper. Often, they provide on-board reflex dilutions at recommended ratio's with suitable diluents. When even this is exceeded, the clinical need to provide a result may lead to sample dilutions exceeding the manufacturer's recommendations many fold. Such (well intentioned) dilutions, sometimes in an inappropriate diluent, may introduce errors such as matrix effects, especially with hormone analysis.
How valid are such results? What steps to Labs take to qualify the result of such an analysis? Is such uncharted water best avoided and simply report the value as "greater than" following the manufacturer's recommendation?
Regards
David
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