Chapters authored
Understanding Quality Control with Urinary Iodine Estimation
Urinary iodine is a tedious assay since it is easily evaporated. A quality system is needed to maintain quality control in a urinary iodine laboratory. In this chapter, a quality system for the urinary iodine micromethod (UIMM) had been discussed briefly. The system covers the pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical stages of the assay. Each stage depends on each other to complete the whole quality system which ensures the validity of the laboratory results. The laboratory procedures, started with method validation, are very important to be adhered strictly. The internal quality control (IQC) in every analysis and participation in External Quality Assurance (EQA) program will ensure validity of assay and will compare laboratory performance to the others. Evaluation from time to time using Sigma metrics is also vital to complete the quality system as troubleshooting and corrective actions taken will improve the UIMM from time to time. These are supported by the documents and records. A good quality system will guide the urinary iodine analysis operators to gain confidence in their work and the results they obtain for the respondents in monitoring elimination program of iodine deficiency disorders (IDD).
Part of the book: Quality Control in Laboratory
Urinary Iodine: Biomarker for Population Iodine Nutrition
Many reports or manuals had focused on the implementation of iodine deficiency disorder (IDD) elimination programme from the point of view of the programme managers. In this chapter, we will focus on the importance of urinary iodine testing, its related diagnosis and further biomarker testing suggested for further diagnosis related to thyroid health. This chapter will be relevant for the respondents to the monitoring programme, particularly the 8–10-year-old schoolchildren and pregnant women, i.e., the vulnerable targeted groups from either the iodine-deficient areas or the Universal Salt Iodization (USI) gazetted areas. USI has been proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the most cost-effective programme to eliminate IDD, and it is also a way to increase the intelligent quotient (IQ) of the world population for the future. This chapter had been laid out so that the readers will know briefly the rationale behind the testing of urinary iodine among schoolchildren and pregnant women under the implementation of the USI programmes in their countries and their benefits, especially the utilisation of urinary iodine as the biomarker to portray the population iodine status. Diagnosis including iodine-induced thyroid diseases and further biomarkers measurement besides urinary iodine is also discussed briefly.
Part of the book: Biochemical Testing