Why is recording maintenance activities important for QC?

• A. It helps monitor instrument drift and ensures QC is performed after maintenance
• B. It is optional and rarely used
• C. It only documents replacements
• D. It replaces the need for calibration

Answer: (A)

Recording maintenance activities is essential because it creates a traceable link between instrument condition and QC results. When an instrument is serviced, components can drift, detectors can settle, or settings can change. Keeping a maintenance log lets you see whether the instrument was performing reliably when QC was run and whether subsequent QC results are still valid or if recalibration or re-verification is needed. It also provides a baseline to monitor drift over time and supports root-cause analysis if QC fails after maintenance, guiding timely corrective actions and future maintenance scheduling. This practice is not optional or rarely used; it documents more than just replacements and does not replace calibration, which remains a separate, needed process.