Identification of the Types of Preanalytical Errors in the Clinical Chemistry Laboratory: 1-Year Study at G.B. Pant Hospital

• Published in: Laboratory medicine Vol. 41; no. 2; pp. 89 - 92
• Main Authors: Chawla, Ranjna, Goswami, Binita, Tayal, Devika, Mallika, V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago Oxford University Press 01.02.2010
• Subjects: Analysis; Biochemistry; Laboratories; Medical errors
• ISSN: 0007-5027; 1943-7730
• DOI: 10.1309/LM9JXZBMLSVJT9RK

To evaluate the leading causes of preanalytical errors in a clinical chemistry laboratory. A retrospective analysis of the results obtained from the clinical chemistry laboratory for errors in the preanalytical phase has been carried out to summarize data regarding the frequency of the main factors affecting the preanalytical quality of results. Laboratory personnel were asked to register rejections, and causes for rejection of ward as well as out-patient samples collected in the laboratory. Of the 96,328 tubes received during the data collection period, 1469 samples were found unsuitable for further processing. This accounted for 1.52% of all samples collected in the laboratory. Rejections arose as a result of the following reasons: 0.74% were rejected due to hemolysis; 0.47% were specimens without proper requisition slips; and 0.23% had insufficient sample quantity. Of all the samples received in the lab, the overall percentage of rejection is 1.52%.