PROPERTIES
AND UNITS IN THE CLINICAL LABORATORY SCIENCES
(Technical report IFCC-IUPAC 1999)
Prepared for publication by
Henrik Olesen1, Inge Ibsen1,
Ivan Bruunshuus1, Desmond Kenny2, René Dybkær3, Xavier
Fuentes-Arderiu4, Gilbert Hill5, Pedro Soares de Araujo6, Clem Mc Donald7
1Office
of Laboratory Informatics, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet),
Copenhagen, Denmark
2Dept.
of Clinical Biochemistry, Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children, Dublin,
Ireland
3Dept.
of Standardisation in Laboratory Medicine, Kommunehospitalet, Copenhagen,
Denmark
4Dept.
of Clinical Biochemistry, Ciutat Sanitària i Universitària de Bellvitge,
Barcelona, Spain
5Dept.
of Clinical Chemistry, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
6Dept.
of Biochemistry, IQUSP, São Paolo, Brazil
7Regenstrief
Inst. for Health Care, Indiana University School of Med., Indianapolis,
Indiana, United States of America
#§The
combined Memberships of the Committee and the Commission (C-NPU) during the
preparation of this report (1994 to 1996) were as follows:
Chairman:
1989-1995 H. Olesen (Denmark); 1996 - D Kenny (Ireland). Members: X. Fuentes-Arderiu
(Spain; 1991-1997); J.G. Hill (Canada; 1987-1997); D. Kenny (Ireland; 1994-1997);
H. Olesen (Denmark; 1985-1995); P.L.
Storring (United Kingdom; 1989-1995);
P. Soares de Araujo (Brazil; 1994-1997); R. Dybkær (Denmark; 1996-1997);
C. McDonald (USA; 1996-1997).
Please forward comments to:
H.
Olesen, Office of Laboratory Informatics 76-6-1, Copenhagen University Hospital
(Rigshospitalet), 9 Blegdamsvej, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. E-mail: holesen@rh.dk
Synopsis
A coding scheme has been prepared for general clinical chemistry.
Preface
The present document is part ten (X) of a series on
properties and units in the clinical laboratory sciences initiated in 1987.
The series
will comprise:
I
Syntax
and semantic rules [1]
II
Kinds-of-property
[2]
III
Elements
(of properties) and their code values [3]
IV Properties
and their code values [4]
V Properties
and units in Thrombosis and Haemostasis [5]
VI Properties
and units in IOC prohibited Drugs [6]
VII
Properties
and units in Inborn Errors of Metabolism
VIII Properties
and units in Clinical Microbiology [7]
IX Properties
and units in Trace Elements [8]
X Properties
and units in General Clinical Chemistry (this report)
XI Coding
systems - structure and guidelines [9]
XIII Properties
and units in Reproduction and Fertility [11]
The size and complexity of parts III and IV are such
that their lists will be presented in electronic format. This is for ease of
handling and to facilitate expression of concepts in different languages.
At the end,
systematic terms, elaborated according to international standards and recommendations
should be available in the different domains of clinical laboratory sciences.
The core of the series is code value strings representing concepts, that in
combination delineate and define each type of property regardless of linguistic
expression, thus avoiding errors during translation between languages.
Foreword and Scope
Clinical Laboratory Sciences are characterised by the
exacting nature of the work performed and the demand for an accurate
presentation of the outcome.
Further the domain is transnational, international or
"global".
The
adherent informatics system therefore needs to identify the findings accurately
and to present them with the degree of detail required. At the same time it has
to facilitate the transfer over linguistic and cultural barriers without
distortion or loss of clarity, in order to promote clear, unambiguous,
meaningful and fully informative communication in different terminologies.
The degree
to which a message (such as a laboratory report) needs to be expressed in a
formal, systematic language depends on the geographical, linguistic, social or
professional distance between the communicating parties. The greater the
distance, the greater the risk of misunderstanding.
Within one
laboratory, local jargon terms may be used which are usually well understood
between colleagues, but which would not be sufficiently widely known for
communication with the outside world. Likewise, a laboratory and its local
community of users, such as hospital or community physicians, may use a
"local dialect" of the language of laboratory medicine which is well
understood by all concerned; but when the communication possibilities are
wider, even transnational, risks of serious misunderstanding arise.
The purpose of
this document is to apply the IFCC–IUPAC recommended syntax structures for
request and report and to create a systematic terminology which can be used as
the basis for encoding laboratory messages in the domain of general clinical
chemistry. This is to facilitate communication of messages about such
properties through computing and telecommunication between databases, messages
that contain sufficient information to allow translation from and to the
required "local dialect" at each end.
Each entry
in the list is formed following the rules given in [1] and in [9].
The systematic names recommended here are primarily
for the purpose of unambiguous data exchange. Their use in routine language by
clinician or laboratory practitioners is optional but encouraged.
Elements of an Entry
The terms recommended are given in bold, that is: the
systematic term for the type of property, the unit and the code value.
1 Name of system and
parenthetic specification spelled out in full, and followed by a long dash (em
dash).
2 Alphanumeric chemical
prefixes to component name.
3 Recommended name of
component and parenthetic specification. Shifted to the left for alphabetical
sorting and searching, and followed by a semicolon.
4 Kind-of-property
and parenthetic specification.
5 Unit.
6 Presently recommended calibrator
7 Previous calibrators
8 Other term(s)
9 Authority: Code value for the
international organization recommending the name of the component or the
combined elements of an entry
10 Note(s) with any further information
11 [NPUXXXXX]
Coding scheme identifier and code
value, intended for interlaboratory transmission between databases
12
Example in abbreviated form.
The term “arbitrary” in princible cannot be related to
a volume. In clinical chemistry however a less well defined “inhouse” or a
regional calibrator is often referred to and is expressed in “arbitrary unit
per litre” in order to enable comparison of patient data over time and
regionally. In each of these instances further information should be given in
the parenthesis “procedure”. This could be information on the calibrator used,
f.ex. “BCR/CRM148/149R“ or it could refer to the inlaboratory
document “procedure xx”. which is available on request.
In the examples given, a question mark, “?”, has been
used to represent the value of a result for properties including quantities.
References
1. Commission/Committee
on Nomenclature, properties and units of the IUPAC–IFCC (International Union of
Pure and Applied Chemistry– International Federation of Clinical Chemistry).
Properties and units in the clinical laboratory sciences. I. Syntax and
semantic rules. Prepared for publication by H Olesen. Pure & Appl Chem 1995; 67: 1563-74; Eur J Clin Chem Clin Biochem 1995; 33: 627-36; Clin Chim Acta 1996; 245: S5-S21.
2.
Commission/Committee on
Nomenclature, properties and units of the IUPAC–IFCC (International Union of
Pure and Applied Chemistry– International Federation of Clinical Chemistry).
Properties and units in the clinical laboratory sciences. II.
Kinds-of-property. Prepared for publication by D Kenny, H Olesen. Pure & Appl Chem 1997; 68: 1015-42.
Eur J Clin Chem Clin Biochem, 1997;
35: 317-44.
3.
Commission/Committee on
Nomenclature, properties and units of the IUPAC–IFCC (International Union of
Pure and Applied Chemistry–International Federation of Clinical Chemistry).
Properties and units in the clinical laboratory sciences. III. Elements (of
properties) and their code values. Technical report 1997. Prepared for
publication by I Bruunshuus, W Frederiksen, H Olesen, I Ibsen. Pure & Appl Chem 1997; 69: 2577-82.
4.
Commission/Committee on
Nomenclature, properties and units of the IUPAC–IFCC (International Union of
Pure and Applied Chemistry–International Federation of Clinical Chemistry).
Properties and units in the clinical laboratory sciences. IV. Properties and
their code values. Technical report 1997. Prepared for publication by H Olesen, D Kenny,
I Bruunshuus, I Ibsen, K
Jørgensen, R Dybkær. Pure & Appl Chem
1997; 69: 2583-91.
5.
Scientific and Standardization
Committee of the ISTH (International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis) and
Commission/Committee on Nomenclature, properties and units of the IUPAC–IFCC
(International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry–International Federation of
Clinical Chemistry). Properties and units in the clinical laboratory sciences.
V. Properties and units in thrombosis and haemostasis. Prepared for publication by M Blombäck, R
Dybkær, K Jørgensen, H Olesen, S Thorsen. Thrombosis and Haemostasis
1994; 71-375-94. Eur J Clin Chem Clin Biochem 1995; 33: 637-60. Pure & Appl Chem 1997; 69: 1043-79.
6.
Commission/Committee on
Nomenclature, properties and units of the IUPAC–IFCC (International Union of
Pure and Applied Chemistry–International Federation of Clinical Chemistry).
Properties and units in the clinical laboratory sciences. VI. Properties and
units in IOC prohibited drugs. Recommendations 1997. Prepared for publication
by H Olesen, D Cowan, I Bruunshuus, K Klempel, G Hill. Pure
& Appl Chem 1997; 69: 1081-1136. Eur
J Clin Chem Clin Biochem 1997; 35: 805-31.
7.
Commission/Committee on
Nomenclature, properties and units of the IUPAC–IFCC (International Union of
Pure and Applied Chemistry–International Federation of Clinical Chemistry).
Properties and units in the clinical laboratory sciences. VIII. Properties and
units in Clinical microbiology. Technical report 1999. Prepared for publication
by U Forsum, H Olesen, W Frederiksen, B Persson. Pure & Appl Chem,
in press. e-JIFCC
2000; 12-1.
8. Commission/Committee on
Nomenclature, properties and units of the IUPAC–IFCC (International Union of
Pure and Applied Chemistry–International Federation of Clinical Chemistry).
Properties and units in the clinical laboratory sciences. IX. Properties and
units in Trace elements. Technical report 1997. Prepared for publication by R
Cornelis, X Fuentes-Arderiu, I Bruunshuus, D Templeton. Pure &
Appl Chem 1997; 69: 2593-2606. Eur J
Clin Chem Clin Biochem 1997; 35:833-843.
9. Commission/Committee on
Nomenclature, properties and units of the IUPAC–IFCC (International Union of
Pure and Applied Chemistry–International Federation of Clinical Chemistry).
Properties and units in the clinical laboratory sciences. XI. Coding systems -
structure and guidelines. Technical report 1997. Prepared for publication by R
Cornelis, H Olesen, I Ibsen, I
Bruunshuus, D Kenny. Pure & Appl Chem
1997; 69: 2607-20.
10.
Commission/Committee on
Nomenclature, properties and units of the IUPAC–IFCC (International Union of
Pure and Applied Chemistry–International Federation of Clinical Chemistry).
Properties and units in the clinical laboratory sciences. XII. Properties and
units in Clinical pharmacology and toxicology. Technical report 1999. Prepared
for publication by H Olesen, D Cowan, Rafael de la Torre, I Bruunshuus, M
Rohde, D Kenny. Pure & Appl Chem, in press. e-JIFCC
2000; 12-1
11.
Commission/Committee on
Nomenclature, properties and units of the IUPAC–IFCC (International Union of
Pure and Applied Chemistry–International Federation of Clinical Chemistry).
Properties and units in the clinical laboratory sciences. XIII. Properties and
units in Reproduction and fertility. Technical report 1997. Prepared for
publication by H Olesen, A Giwercman, DM de Kretser, D Mortimer, H Oshima, Troen. Pure
& Appl Chem 1997; 69: 2621-28. Clin
Chem Lab Med 1998; 36: 57-65.
12. Commission/Committee on Nomenclature, properties and units of the IUPAC–IFCC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry–International Federation of Clinical Chemistry). Properties and units in the clinical laboratory sciences. XVI. Properties and units in Clinical allergology. Technical report 1999. Prepared for publication by I Bruunshuus, LK Poulsen, H Olesen. Pure & Appl Chem, in press. e-JIFCC 2000; 12-1.
Index of Abbreviations
CAS
Chemical
Abstracts Service
IFCC
International
Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine
INN
International
Nonproprietary Names of WHO
*INN
Name
to be approved
ISO International
Organization for Standardization
IUPAC International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry
MSH Medical Subject Headings
WHO World Health Organization