Reference values: still a critical issue in laboratory medicine.

摘要

Reference intervals and decision limits for the appropriate interpretation of laboratory test results are essential information required for patient care, since they help distinguish healthy and diseased individuals, as well as separate subgroups of patients with different pathologies, diseases and even disease stages. The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) has been proactive over many years in establishing recommendations for clarifying the true significance of the term "reference values", for selecting the appropriate reference population(s), and for production and statistical treatment of the data. This Journal - formerly known as Journal of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Biochemistiy - has played a crucial role in improving the culture and knowledge on this critical issue through the publication of a series of seminal papers (1-3).