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Microbiology QAP

  • Bacteriology Module

  • Clostridioides difficile: Laboratory Detection

  • Endoscope and Bronchoscope Surveillance Culture

  • Molecular Alphavirus and Flavivirus

  • Molecular Bordetella pertussis

  • Molecular Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae

  • Molecular Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2

  • Molecular CSF

  • Molecular Cytomegalovirus

  • Molecular Enterovirus

  • Molecular Gastrointestinal Pathogens: Bacteria / Parasites / Viral

  • Molecular Hepatitis B Virus DNA / Hepatitis C Virus RNA / Hepatitis C Virus RNA Genotyping

  • Molecular Herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2

  • Molecular HIV-1 RNA

  • Molecular Human Papillomavirus DNA

  • Molecular Influenza

  • Molecular Malaria

  • Molecular mec A/nuc gen

  • Molecular Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. avium complex

  • Molecular Neisseria meningitidis

  • Molecular Rapid Diagnostics Influenza/RSV/SARS-CoV-2

  • Molecular Respiratory Pathogens

  • Molecular Sexually Transmitted Pathogens

  • Molecular Vaccine Preventable Pathogens

  • Molecular Varicella zoster virus

  • Multi-drug resistant gram-negative bacteria (MDR)

  • Mycology

  • Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM)

  • Parasitology

  • STAT Microscopy: Gram Stain / Urine Microscopy

  • Streptococcus pneumoniae: urinary antigen detection

  • Urine Dipstick Chemistry

  • Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE)

The RCPAQAP Microbiology discipline has been developed and evolved under the guidance of the RCPAQAP Microbiology Advisory Committee. Within this discipline, a Molecular Infectious Diseases sub-committee further guides the development of microbiology molecular diagnostics.

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The last two decades have seen enormous change in Medical Microbiology. ‘New’ organisms (Helicobacter pylori, HIV, Hepatitis C virus) have been discovered and characterised. ‘New’ infectious diseases (AIDS, Lyme disease and Legionnaires’ disease) have been described. ‘Old’ infections (tuberculosis, malaria, and pertussis) have re-emerged as major threats and have become increasingly resistant to previously effective antibiotics (MRSA, Streptococcus pneumoniae, VRE).

Over this time, advances in technology and molecular medicine (automation, polymerase chain reaction) have added greatly to the Microbiologist’s diagnostic armamentarium. At the same time, Microbiology remains very much a ‘hands-on’ discipline. In many ways, it is an art as much as a science, and one in which an individual pathologist’s experience, judgment and interpretive skills are pivotal.

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Clinical aspects involve control of outbreaks of infectious disease and dealing with the problems of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

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Microbiology

Molecular Genetics QAP

  • Acute Myeloid Leukemia NGS Panel Testing

  • BCR-ABL Qualitative

  • Chimerism Analysis

  • Coeliac Disease HLA Genotyping

  • FLT-3 ITD and TKD

  • Hereditary Haemochromatosis (HFE)

  • Human Leukocyte Antigen B*57

  • IDH Mutation Analysis in AML (IDH1, IDH2)

  • Immunogenotyping (IgH,TCR)

  • Kennedy’s Disease

  • Maternal Cell Contamination

  • Molecular Testing in Glioma (IDH1/2, MGMT)

  • Mutation Detection in Colorectal Cancer / Lung Cancer (NSCLC) / Melanoma

  • Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (JAK2, CALR, MPL)

  • NPM1

  • PML-RARA

  • PTEN

  • Quality Assessment of DNA Extracts / FFPE DNA Extract

  • Sanger DNA Sequencing

  • Thalassaemia (alpha, beta)

  • Thrombosis (F5, F2)

  • TP53 Deletions at 17p13.1 in CLL (FISH)

Genetics is an integral part of pathology with implications in disease pathogenesis and progression, identification of diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, as well as targeted treatments. The RCPAQAP Molecular Genetics discipline offers diagnostic and technical proficiency testing programs for inherited diseases, oncology, molecular haematology and rare genetic disorders (as sample exchanges).

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In addition, the RCPAQAP Molecular Genetics discipline partners with major external quality assurance providers to provide customers with as many options for molecular genetics testing as is currently available, this includes the:

  • European Molecular Genetics Quality Network (EMQN)

  • Cystic Fibrosis European Network (CF Network)

  • UK National External Quality Assessment Scheme for Leucocyte Immunophenotyping (UK NEQAS LI)

  • Quality Control for Molecular Diagnostics (QCMD) 

  • Genomics Quality Assessment (GenQA)

  • Australasian Society of Diagnostic Genomics (ASDG)

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Molecular Genetics

Serology QAP

  • Bordetella pertussis

  • Coagulation Factors: II, V, VII, X, XI, and XII

  • Chlamydia genus

  • Coronavirus SARS CoV-2 Antibodies/Antigen

  • Dengue virus

  • Epstein Barr virus

  • Flavivirus

  • Herpes simplex

  • Human T-Lymphotropic Virus

  • Helicobacter pylori

  • Human Immunodeficiency Virus

  • Hydatid

  • Hepatitis

  • Hepatitis A

  • Hepatitis B

  • Hepatitis C

  • Hepatitis D

  • Hepatitis E

  • Influenza A and B Antibody

  • Legionella Antibody/ Antigen

  • Measles

  • Mycoplasma

  • Rubella

  • Streptococcus

  • Syphilis

  • Varicella zoster

Serology

The RCPAQAP serology has a comprehensive range of EQA programs covering a variety of diagnostic tests used in infectious serological screening, surveillance and immunity evaluation.

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Key features of the program include:

  • One sample dispatch per year with the exception of HIV Point-of-Care

  • Comprehensive assessment of over 50 analytes;

  • Detection of antibodies, antigens;

  • Result entry via the website;

  • Trend analysis with a minimum of 2 surveys/year (for most analytes)

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Transfusion QAP

  • Blood Grouping and Antibody Screen/Identification

  • Foeto-Maternal Haemorrhage Estimation

  • General Transfusion – Antibody Titre / Basic Compatibility / General Compatibility / Phenotyping

  • Snake Venom Detection

  • Transfusion Competency – Antibody Identification Module / Antibody Screen Module / Blood Grouping Module / rossmatching / Compatibility Testing Module / DAT Module / Phenotyping (Rh / K antigens only) Module (Overseas participants only)

  • Transfusion Competency – Full Program

The RCPAQAP Transfusion discipline covers all routine tests performed in a pre-transfusion testing laboratory including clinical decision making on given scenarios. The Individual Assessment program is designed to assist laboratory supervisors to maintain and assess individual staff competencies while also enabling individual staff to meet EQA participation requirements as stipulated by the guidelines. The Foetal Maternal Haemorrhage Estimation program is for assessing laboratories on methods used in estimating foetal red cells in maternal samples.

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Transfusion
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