Clinical chemistry laboratory errors at St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

BMC Res Notes. 2018 Nov 3;11(1):789. doi: 10.1186/s13104-018-3893-5.

Abstract

Objective: This study was aimed to determine the magnitude of errors in clinical chemistry laboratory tests at different phases of the assay of clinical chemistry laboratory unit.

Results: From the total 1633 clinical chemistry laboratory tests done, overall, 541 (33.1%) errors occurred which accounts that 392 (72.3%), 45 (8.3%), and 104 (19.2%) were pre analytical, analytical and post analytical phases of errors, respectively. Incomplete clinical data of patient was observed on 1185 (72.6%) of CLL tests. Name, gender, and age of patients were missed on 8 (0.5%), 190 (11.6%), and 257 (15.7%) forms of the requests, respectively. The physician's name existed only on 248 (15.2%) and signature on 1137 (69.6%) of the request forms. An essential patient data were incomplete, which needs emphasis on awareness creation. Such practice improves laboratory data interpretation and thereby prevent misdiagnose and mistreatment of patients.

Keywords: Analytical; Clinical chemistry laboratory errors; Post-analytical errors; Pre-analytical.

MeSH terms

  • Clinical Laboratory Techniques / statistics & numerical data*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Ethiopia
  • Hospitals, University / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Laboratories, Hospital / statistics & numerical data*
  • Medical Errors / statistics & numerical data*
  • Pre-Analytical Phase / statistics & numerical data

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