Title: Study of Pre-Analytical and Post-Analytical Errors in Hematology Laboratory in A Tertiary Care Hospital
Authors: Dhiraj Kumar B. Shukla, Sujata R. Kanetkar, Suchi G. Gadhiya, Shivani Ingale
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v4i12.108
Abstract
Introduction: Laboratories play an important role in the diagnosis and management of the disease. In the modern day diagnostics, with the advent of technologies and automation in the laboratories, the manual workload has decreased. Automation has reduced the number of errors but still few errors do occur. Present study was undertaken to evaluate different types & frequencies of pre-analytical and post-analytical errors in hematology laboratory of a tertiary care hospital.
Methods: Present study is a prospective study. All the samples received in hematology laboratory of our hospital over a period of one year were included in the study. All the pre-analytical variables such as clotted samples, quantity not sufficient, wrong sample, sample without label, wrong label and post analytical variables such as printing error, delayed dispatch of report and reports misplaced were noted & studied.
Results: In the present study total 1, 21,470 samples were received in hematological laboratory over a period of one year. Preanalytical errors were noted in 1,218 samples. Clotted sample was noted in 573 cases, inadequate quantity in 213 cases, hemolysed sample in 176 cases, improper requisition form in 114 cases, improper container in 92 cases & diluted sample in 50 cases. Post analytical errors were noted in 213 samples. Delayed dispatch of report was noted in 107 cases, printing errors in 69 cases and misplaced reports in 37 cases.
Conclusion: Preanalytical and post analytical errors in hematological laboratory can be reduced by regular analysis of the variables & regular education and training of staff concerned with blood collection & handling of blood samples.
Key Words:, Postanalytical errors, Hematology, Training.