Mycology Proficiency Testing Program (PTP)
Mycology PTP
GRADING POLICY
Acceptable responses must be authenticated by 80% or more of the referee or participating laboratories.
Mycology - General and Mycology - Yeasts Only grades are determined as follows:
A laboratory's response for each sample is compared with the response that reflects 80 percent agreement of 10 referee laboratories or 80 percent of all participating laboratories. The referee laboratories are selected at random from among hospital laboratories participating in the program. They represent all geographical areas of New York State and must have a record of excellent performance during the preceding three years. The maximum score for each specimen is 20 based on the formula:
Event Score = # of correct responses X 100
# of fungi present + # of Incorrect Responses
Tests for Mycology Antifungal Susceptibility Testing – Yeasts Only are graded as follows:
Acceptable results for antifungal susceptibility testing are based on consensus MIC values +/- 2 dilutions or interpretation per NCCLS/CLSI guidelines or other publications. One yeast is to be tested against following ten drugs: amphotericin B, anidulafungin, caspofungin, flucytosine (5-FC), fluconazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole, micafungin, posaconazole, and voriconazole. The participating laboratories are allowed to select any number of antifungal drug(s) from the test panel based upon customary practices in their facilities. A maximum score of 100 will be equally divided among the drugs selected by the individual laboratory. If a result is incorrect, then laboratory gets a score of zero for that particular test component or set.
Mycology - Direct Detection grade is determined as follow:
For Cryptococcus antigen test, laboratories are evaluated on the basis of their responses and on overall performance for all the analytes tested in the Direct Detection category. Appropriate responses are determined by participant consensus requiring 80% agreement in the test. Qualitative/quantitative results are graded in relation to results given by the participants. Target values and acceptable ranges are mean value +/- 2 dilutions; positive or negative answers will be acceptable from laboratories that do not report titers. When both qualitative and quantitative results are reported, ten points will be deducted for each incorrect result. When only qualitative OR quantitative results are reported, twenty points will be deducted from each incorrect result.
A failure to attain an overall score of 80% is considered unsatisfactory performance. Laboratories receiving unsatisfactory scores in two out of three consecutive proficiency test events may be subject to 'cease testing' of clinical specimens.