title: Assessing pediatric trauma specimen integrity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated the quality of trauma specimens by comparing line draws to venipuncture.
  
  
  METHODS
  The draw type (line or venipuncture); container type (Vacutainer or Microtainer); and suitability for processing (processed/hemolyzed/clotted) of routinely collected trauma specimens was analyzed.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical laboratory of a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hemolyzed trauma specimens were analyzed according to method of collection, collector, and type of container to identify issues resulting in unusable samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The data shows that for 13% of all draws, portions of the results were affected by hemolysis. Sixteen percent of line draws and 6% of venipunctures were hemolyzed (p = 0.04). There was no statistical association with who collected the sample (p = 0.07) or type of container (p = 1.00).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on this sample of data, the laboratory recommends that, whenever possible, venipunctures be performed for laboratory testing of blood specimens to improve trauma specimen integrity.
authors.affiliation: Research Department (MC 5074), Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, 3020 Children's Way, San Diego, CA 92123, USA. rbush@rchsd.org
authors.forename: Ruth A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bush
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: Beverly
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sumwalt
authors.forename: Susan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Mary L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Hilfiker
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006461:Hemolysis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018962:Phlebotomy / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011786:Quality Control; D014193:Trauma Centers / Q000592:standards*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000097:blood*