An Easily Overlooked Contamination of Syringes in Newborn Screening by Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Background: Tandem mass spectrometry becomes a common and important test in newborn screening, but potential contamination of the equipment has largely been ignored. Methods: The source of contamination through Biosan quality control samples was examined prospectively, and further confirmed by retrospective analysis of patient samples. Results: We found that the source of contamination came from a syringe in the Biosan quality control samples. Furthermore, we found that a large number of indicators in the patient sample were interfered by syringe contamination in our center, and also in two other newborn screening centers, but the affected indicators were different in different screening centers. Conclusion: Syringe contamination will affect the detection of patient samples by tandem mass spectrometry and should be monitored carefully and immediately.

Automated summary

The study identified the potential contamination source for tandem mass spectrometry, mainly from the syringe in Biosan quality control samples. This contamination can interfere with the detection of patient samples and should be carefully monitored.