STUDY OF ERRORS IN PRE ANALYTICAL, ANALYTICAL AND POST ANALYTICAL PHASES OF TESTING CYCLE AT CENTRAL CLINICAL LABORATORY OF A TERTIARY HOSPITAL
European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine,
2022, Volume 9, Issue 3, Pages 12123-12130
Abstract
Background: Use of clinical laboratory test results in diagnostic decision making has become an integral part of clinical medicine. More than 70 % of the most important decisions of medical diagnosis are based on laboratory test results. Present study was aimed to study errors in pre-analytical, analytical and post analytical phases of testing cycle at central clinical laboratory of a tertiary hospital.Material and Methods: Present study was single-center, descriptive, observational study, conducted in department of pathology & biochemistry, at Central Clinical Laboratory.
Results: From October 2014 to October 2016, a total of 1,88,819(59,229 from OPD and 1,29,590 from IPD) routine venous blood specimens were received in the Biochemistry Laboratory. Errors were detected in 17,607samples out of (9.32 %). Pre analytical, analytical, post analytical phases contributed to (5376 out of 17,607) 30.53%, (794 out of 17,607) 4.5% and (1196 out of 17,607) 6.79% of errors, respectively. Highest prevalence of errors seen in the 30.53% pre analytical phase. Pre analytical errors were detected in 5376 out of 17,607 samples (30.53%). Pre-analytical errors noted were incorrect requisition (48.54 %), clotted samples (16.9 %), samples not received (13.53 %), hemolysed samples (7.35 %), insufficient samples (7.02 %), incorrect label (5.38 %) & tube broken in centrifuged (1.24 %). Common analytical errors were non-conformity with QC (61.2 %), random error (11.2 %), calibration drift (13.97 %), systemic error (11.32 %) & errors as reported by clinician (2.26 %). Common post-analytical errors were Transcription Errors (61.87 %) & Prolonged Turn Around Time (38.13 %). All errors were common in IPD as compared to OPD & difference was statistically highly significant.
Conclusion: Since more than half of the laboratory errors occur during preanalytical phase, proper training and knowledge of the intervening factors that can influence laboratory results are essential to minimize laboratory errors.
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