title: Evaluation of errors in a clinical laboratory: a one-year experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Efficient laboratory service is the cornerstone of modern health care systems. Scientific innovations have contributed to substantial improvements in the field of laboratory science, but errors still prevail. These errors are classified as preanalytical, analytical and postanalytical, depending upon the time of presentation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data for 67,438 routine venous blood specimens were scrutinized, and errors were documented over the period of 1 year in the clinical biochemistry laboratory of Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital in Delhi, India.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Preanalytical errors were most common, with a frequency of 77.1% followed by postanalytical 15% and analytical 7.9%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study illustrates the importance of proper venipuncture procedures, analytical expertise and correct transcription of numerical data for precise and accurate reporting of results to clinicians. There is an urgent need for close inter-departmental cooperation to meet the goal of ensuring patient well being.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, GB Pant Hospital, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Binita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Goswami
authors.forename: Bhawna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Ranjna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chawla
authors.forename: Venkatesan
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mallika
mesh_terms: D001800:Blood Specimen Collection; D019963:Clinical Chemistry Tests / Q000592:standards*; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007755:Laboratories, Hospital