Preanalytical Variation in Clinical Laboratory Testing

摘要: Laboratory testing can be divided into preanalytic, analytic, and postanalytic phases. Medical errors are most frequent in the preanalytic phase of testing. Preanalytic variables affect test results, leading to misinterpretation inappropriate patient care. Physicians should educated on potential for variation question results effects whenever result does not match clinical symptoms. controllable, such as diet, exercise, drug intake, or they noncontrollable, inherent patient's age, sex, race, disease state. Preanalytic occur at many steps process. staff misinterpret names order wrong methodology. Biological factors, fasting, may require prepare before specimen collection a sample need collected an appropriate time therapeutic monitoring hormone interpretation. Several sources have been related collection, including identification, additives, draw, mixing, volume, phlebotomy technique, needle size, use vascular access devices. Delays transportation storage samples after analysis also adversely results. Some detected, hemolysis, lipemia, icterus by visual inspection each specimen, but other readily detectable. Newer analyzers spectrophotometrically analyze interferences due icterus, automating ability comment qualify basis level interferent. Education awareness, however, remain important means managing source laboratory variation. Keywords: preanalytic variables; order entry; specimen collection; error detection; laboratory