07/30/2026
Six consecutive QC points trending upward. No Westgard rule violated. Do you release results?
Most labs say yes. That's the problem.
A trend inside 2SD is systematic error in motion; calibrator deteriorating, reagent lot shifting, temperature drifting. The numbers are still in range today. But they're moving in one direction for a reason.
By the time the 10-mean rule fires, results at points four, five, and six were already impacted.
The right call: stop releasing, investigate, run fresh QC, document. Not because a rule told you to because you read the story the chart was telling.
Pattern before protocol. That's what separates lab professionals who manage quality from those who only monitor it.
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