Clinical method for the genetic screening of newborns using tandem mass spectrometry

A high-throughput method for screening newborns using electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (12). The method improves the current protocols using tandem mass spectrometry to provide accurate and consistent results at the clinical level through enhanced quality assurance and quality control (18) protocols for scan profiling and sample preparation (10) of blood from newborns. Precise concentrations of specific internal standards are used to distinguish twenty metabolites. Spectra of the samples are scanned and vigorously compared to known spectra as part of a diagnostic interpretation system (16). Quality assurance flags step compare peaks, metabolite concentration and scan intensities to a range of thresholds to determine whether or not the sample is contaminated, drug-ridden, diagnosable or unacceptable. All results and quality assurance flags are organized for post-acquisition data processing and data reduction (14) where values are compiled and stored for daily output results and trend analysis.