Errors in Lab Test Results
February 18, 2012
Accurate diagnosis of specimens is crucial in order for physicians to treat their patients. Errors in any phase of the blood collection process can result in incorrect treatment and can be devastating; even life-threatening for the patient. Infection control, proper order of blood draws and labeling would have been thoroughly covered in all accredited phlebotomy programs. The importance of best practices and patient/client communication should also have been discussed with the possible ramifications in failing to do so. Even with advanced and ongoing training as well as up-to-date phlebotomy certification of all employees within blood collection facilities, errors do occur.
In order to understand how best to diminish or eliminate the occurrence of such errors it is important to find out at which point in the process they generally take place. New advances in both automation and instrument technology have lead to simplifying lab diagnostic tasks greatly improving the accuracy of test results. Unfortunately the high majority of errors have been found to exist in the pre-analytical portion of the procedure. Â More than 90% of errors occur between the time that a physician orders blood work and the time that it is ready for testing. It is not possible to get accurate results if the specimen has been compromised in some way before it arrives at the lab for testing. Slightly more than half of all pre-analytical errors are due to a lack of either quantity or quality of the specimen. Other causes can be attributed to such things as:
- Inadequate training of the phlebotomy technician
- Inappropriate container, collection devices and procedures
- Errors in patient identification
- Errors in patient preparation
- Transport, storage, separation and handling issues.
The right training and continual upgrading of skills is certainly an essential component in reducing pre-analytical errors. Budget constraints and staff shortages place an added level of stress on all phlebotomy technicians which can greatly distract from a technician’s focus on the job at hand. In spite of these challenges, it is important that all employees working in the field remember that errors can have fatal consequences and attention to detail and proper procedures are imperative.
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