[Evaluation of the new detectable method of the specimen mix-up in a microbiological examination].
To date, it has been difficult to detect a mix-up of specimens for microbiological examinations. We developed and evaluated a computer program that detects specimen mix-up during the examinations. Once some bacterial species such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and MRSA are detected in an examination, it is not easy for these bacteria to disappear on subsequent examinations. It is possible to speculate that there has been a specimen mix-up when there are differences in the existence of bacterial species between the results of the past and current examinations. In this study, 1379 false mix-up specimens were created and evaluated for the detection of specimen mix-ups using this method and 417 of the 1379 specimens were detected as mix-ups (sensitivity; 30.2%). Furthermore, when 1486 real specimens were evaluated for the detection of mix-ups, 114 samples were judged to have been mixed-up. Three of these samples were mixed up during the examinations (specificity; 92.5%). These findings suggest that this method is useful for the detection of specimen mix-up during microbiological examinations.
Ueno
Tamio
T
Clinical Laboratory Center, Oita University Hospital, Hasama, Oita 879-5593.
Hiramatsu
Kazufumi
K
Magari
Yasuhiro
Y
Saikawa
Tetsunori
T
D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000592:standards; D008828:Microbiological Techniques / Q000592:standards*; D011786:Quality Control; D012984:Software; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000592:standards*