Background: This study was carried out to identify the causes of pre-analytical errors in the clinical biochemistry laboratory and their percentage occurrence so as to formulate the strategy for necessary corrective and preventive actions.
Methods: A retrospective quantitative study was conducted in the department of biochemistry to identify the different causes of pre-analytical errors in the outpatient and inpatient samples. The sample rejection register and test requisition forms for the period of May 2018 to April 2019 were analysed and the percentage occurrence of the different types of errors was calculated.
Results: Data analysis revealed that the occurrence of different errors was as follows: hemolysis (46.43%), sample not received (28.32%), insufficient quantity (8.16%), improper collection technique (7.14%), delayed transport (5.87%), wrong container (1.79%), sample clotted (1.28%), lipemic sample (0.77%) and sample exchanged during separation in lab (0.26%).
Conclusion: The decline in the errors during the analytical phase of sample processing has shifted the focus towards reducing errors occurring in the pre-analytical phase. This is necessary to ensure patient safety.
Keywords: Pre-analytical errors, Biochemistry, hemolysis.
Molecular Characterisation of Clinical Isolates of Chikungunya Virus: A Study from Tertiary Care Hospitals in Southern India
