Hormone determination service to hospital institutions the Center of Isotopes

Within the framework of the close collaboration between the Agency of Nuclear Energy and Advanced Technologies and the Ministry of Public Health, at the beginning of this century, and considering the need of different hospitals, the Center of Isotopes (CENTIS), began providing service to determine hormones by nuclear methodologies,. CENTIS had qualified personnel in immune radioanalysis RIA/IRMA techniques and radiation safety, in addition to having the required equipment and accredited laboratories to work with radioactive substances. As a result, it was necessary to incorporate to CENTIS Quality System, the regulations in force for clinical laboratories , and to adapt its infrastructure for the processing of no less than 1000 samples per week from 16 hospitals. The Service required collection and transportation of the samples, reception, inspection and registration, test, evaluation and delivery of the test results. In order to fulfil this activity, a computer system was designed and set , and standards for actions were established to guarantee a high technical quality endorsed by traceability, uncertainty; proficiency tests and other requirements demanded by the Good Practices of Clinical Laboratory (BPLC 03 -2009) issued by CECMED. Due to new regulations, several improvements have been introduced. In 15 years, CENTIS laboratory has become the most important in the country using radioactive methods for the quantification of hormones, with an average testing of more than 70 000 patients per year, mainly in the capital. This is part of our contribution in the 500th Anniversary of Havana.