How do you handle instrument drift between calibration checks?

How do you handle instrument drift between calibration checks?

• A. Ignore drift as long as the results look plausible.
• B. Recalibrate once and assume the drift is resolved without revalidation.
• C. Investigate and correct drift with recalibration, revalidation of QC, reanalysis of affected samples, and documenting corrective actions.
• D. Document the drift and continue reporting without any corrective action.

Answer: (C)

When an instrument shows drift between calibration checks, the readings may no longer be trustworthy. The proper response is to investigate the cause, recalibrate the instrument to bring it back to the correct response, revalidate the QC to confirm the method is still in control, reanalyze any samples measured during the drift, and thoroughly document all corrective actions taken. This ensures results remain accurate, traceable to the method, and compliant with QA requirements. Ignoring drift, assuming it will disappear, or continuing to report data without corrective actions can lead to biased results and QA failures. Simply noting the drift without correcting it does not restore accuracy or reliability.

When an instrument shows drift between calibration checks, the readings may no longer be trustworthy. The proper response is to investigate the cause, recalibrate the instrument to bring it back to the correct response, revalidate the QC to confirm the method is still in control, reanalyze any samples measured during the drift, and thoroughly document all corrective actions taken. This ensures results remain accurate, traceable to the method, and compliant with QA requirements.

Ignoring drift, assuming it will disappear, or continuing to report data without corrective actions can lead to biased results and QA failures. Simply noting the drift without correcting it does not restore accuracy or reliability.