Reference intervals data mining: no longer a probability paper method.

OBJECTIVES To describe the application of a data-mining statistical algorithm for calculation of clinical laboratory tests reference intervals. METHODS Reference intervals for eight different analytes and different age and sex groups (a total of 11 separate reference intervals) for tests that are unlikely to be ordered during routine screening of disease-free populations were calculated using the modified algorithm for data mining of test results stored in the laboratory database and compared with published peer-reviewed studies that used direct sampling. The selection of analytes was based on the predefined criteria that include comparability of analytical methods with a statistically significant number of observations. RESULTS Of the 11 calculated reference intervals, having upper and lower limits for each, 21 of 22 reference interval limits were not statistically different from the reference studies. CONCLUSIONS The presented statistical algorithm is shown to be an accurate and practical tool for reference interval calculations.

[1]  D. Cox,et al.  An Analysis of Transformations , 1964 .

[2]  Callum G. Fraser,et al.  Biological Variation: From Principles to Practice , 2001 .

[3]  K. Adeli,et al.  Closing the gaps in pediatric laboratory reference intervals: a CALIPER database of 40 biochemical markers in a healthy and multiethnic population of children. , 2012, Clinical chemistry.

[4]  R. Hoffmann.  STATISTICS IN THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE. , 1963, JAMA.

[5]  S. Wijmenga,et al.  Quantitative Proteomics and Metabolomics Analysis of Normal Human Cerebrospinal Fluid Samples* , 2010, Molecular & Cellular Proteomics.

[6]  H. Reiber.  External quality assessment in clinical neurochemistry: survey of analysis for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteins based on CSF/serum quotients. , 1995, Clinical chemistry.

[7]  Richard A. Groeneveld,et al.  Measuring Skewness and Kurtosis , 1984 .

[8]  Kiyoshi Ichihara,et al.  An appraisal of statistical procedures used in derivation of reference intervals , 2010, Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine.

[9]  J. Faraway.  Linear Models with R , 2014 .

[10]  J. Lott,et al.  Estimation of reference intervals for total protein in cerebrospinal fluid. , 1989, Clinical chemistry.

[11]  Alexander Katayev,et al.  Establishing reference intervals for clinical laboratory test results: is there a better way? , 2010, American journal of clinical pathology.

[12]  G. Siest,et al.  The theory of reference values: an unfinished symphony , 2013, Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine.

[13]  S. Soldin,et al.  Pediatric Reference Intervals , 2005 .

[14]  C Ricós,et al.  Current databases on biological variation: pros, cons and progress. , 1999, Scandinavian journal of clinical and laboratory investigation.