| Preanalytical Variables and their Influence on the Quality of Laboratory Results |
| Article also focuses on Preanalytical Quality Manual in Laboratories:
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| The Articles Reviews few important patient related case studies, showcasing impact of Preanalytical variable. |
| Example case Study: |
A 40 year old male was hospitalized with a serum potassium of
8.0 mmol/L obtained on a non-hemolyzed specimen. Treatment that was administered to lower serum potassium levels were apparently unsuccessful since post-therapy serum potassium concentration was 7.5 mmol/L on a non-hemolyzed specimen. By now the patient became confused, developed muscle cramps and began to vomit. The doctor now requested a stat whole blood potassium determination, which yielded a potassium concentration of 2.7 mmol/L. The doctor promptly terminated therapy
administered to lower serum potassium concentration. On examination of the hematology data, the white blood count was 20 x 10 9 / liter (normal 4.5 x 11.0), and the platelet count was 480 x 10 9 / liter (normal 150 - 350).
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| Details |
| The cause of increased serum potassium on a non-hemolyzed specimen was due to the lysis of platelets and the release of potassium during the centrifugation procedure. In whole blood, however, platelets were intact and the potassium values obtained
by the ion selective electrode procedure reflected the true value. The patient actually had normal potassium when therapy was initiated based on the initial spuriously high serum potassium
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http://www.ifcc.org/ifcc-communications-publications-division-(cpd)/ifcc-publications/ejifcc-(journal)/e-journal-volumes/vol-13-no-1/preanalytical-variables-and-their-influence-on-the-quality-of-laboratory-results-by-s-narayanan-/ |
| OSHA: Protecting Yourself When Handling Contaminated Sharps |
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| MAYO Clinic Article: Improving patient care through esoteric laboratory ( December 2008 ) - Preanalytic Laboratory Errors: Identification and Prevention |
| Preanalytical error prevention requires excellent
communication and cooperation among all members of the health care team, from the phlebotomist who
collects the specimen, to the ...
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