title: Clinical biochemistry laboratory rejection rates due to various types of preanalytical errors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Preanalytical errors, along the process from the beginning of test requests to the admissions of the specimens to the laboratory, cause the rejection of samples. The aim of this study was to better explain the reasons of rejected samples, regarding to their rates in certain test groups in our laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  This preliminary study was designed on the rejected samples in one-year period, based on the rates and types of inappropriateness. Test requests and blood samples of clinical chemistry, immunoassay, hematology, glycated hemoglobin, coagulation and erythrocyte sedimentation rate test units were evaluated. Types of inappropriateness were evaluated as follows: improperly labelled samples, hemolysed, clotted specimen, insufficient volume of specimen and total request errors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 5,183,582 test requests from 1,035,743 blood collection tubes were considered. The total rejection rate was 0.65 %. The rejection rate of coagulation group was significantly higher (2.28%) than the other test groups (P < 0.001) including insufficient volume of specimen error rate as 1.38%. Rejection rates of hemolysis, clotted specimen and insufficient volume of sample error were found to be 8%, 24% and 34%, respectively. Total request errors, particularly, for unintelligible requests were 32% of the total for inpatients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The errors were especially attributable to unintelligible requests of inappropriate test requests, improperly labelled samples for inpatients and blood drawing errors especially due to insufficient volume of specimens in a coagulation test group. Further studies should be performed after corrective and preventive actions to detect a possible decrease in rejecting samples.
authors.affiliation: Katip Celebi University, Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aysenur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Atay
authors.affiliation: Katip Celebi University, Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Leyla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.affiliation: Katip Celebi University, Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Serap
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cuhadar
authors.affiliation: Katip Celebi University, Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gulcan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Saglam
authors.affiliation: Katip Celebi University, Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hulya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Unal
authors.affiliation: Katip Celebi University, Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Saliha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aksun
authors.affiliation: Katip Celebi University, Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Banu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Arslan
authors.affiliation: Katip Celebi University, Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Asuman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozkan
authors.affiliation: Katip Celebi University, Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Recep
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sutcu
mesh_terms: D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006461:Hemolysis; D006801:Humans; D007755:Laboratories, Hospital / Q000592:standards; D010865:Pilot Projects
keywords: preanalytical error; quality indicator; specimen rejection