What is a Hemolyzed sample?
Hemolysis is a common occurrence in blood specimens which may compromise laboratory test results. Hemolysis may be due to specimen collection, processing, or transport. An ordering physician can request that a result be posted regardless of interference by calling the laboratory.
What causes Hemolyzed blood samples?
Hemolysis resulting from phlebotomy may be caused by incorrect needle size, improper tube mixing, incorrect filling of tubes, excessive suction, prolonged tourniquet, and difficult collection.
What happens when a blood sample is Hemolyzed?
“Hemo” means blood, of course; “lysis” means to rupture or the destruction of cells. So hemolysis is literally the destruction of blood cells, specifically red blood cells. When red cells rupture, they spill their contents, mostly hemoglobin, into their surroundings.
Why are Hemolyzed samples rejected?
In some reports, hemolyzed specimens, the most common reason for rejection, account for ∼60% of rejected specimens, fivefold more than the second most common cause (2)….To the Editor.
| . | n . | % . |
|---|---|---|
| Blood forced into the tube | 26 | 5.1 |
| In vivo hemolysis | 9 | 1.8 |
| Extracorporeal circulation | 7 | 1.4 |
| Specimen frozen | 4 | 0.8 |
How do you prevent a Hemolyzed sample?
Best Practices to Prevent Hemolysis
- Use the correct needle size for blood collection (20-22 gauge).
- Avoid using butterfly needles, unless specifically requested by patient.
- Warm up the venipuncture site to increase blood flow.
- Allow disinfectant on venipuncture site to dry completely.
How can you prevent a Hemolyzed sample?
How does hemolyzed specimen affects the test result?
Certain lab tests can be affected and the reported results will be inaccurate. It falsely decreases values such as RBC’s, HCT, and aPTT. It can also falsely elevate potassium, ammonia, magnesium, phosphorus, AST, ALT, LDH and PT.
What substances are increases in a hemolyzed specimen?
Hemolysis may falsely increase the following analytes: AST, alanine transaminase (ALT), LDH, total bilirubin, glucose, calcium, phosphorus, total protein, albumin, magnesium, amylase, lipase, creatine kinase (CK), iron, hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC).
How can you prevent hemolysis?
What does it mean when blood sample is hemolyzed?
The term hemolysis designates the pathological process of breakdown of red blood cells in blood, which is typically accompanied by varying degrees of red tinge in serum or plasma once the whole blood specimen has been centrifuged. Hemolyzed specimens are a rather frequent occurrence in laboratory pr …
How is sample hemolysis used in emergency departments?
Preanalytical hemolysis of blood samples is a common problem in medical practice, especially in emergency departments. Several potential influences on sample hemolysis have been investigated, including sampling techniques, centrifugation and sample transport. In particular, the use of intravenous ca …
How often are hemolyzed specimens sent to the laboratory?
Hemolysis is a common finding in specimens sent to clinical laboratory for various tests, which includes coagulation testing also. The relative prevalence of hemolyzed specimens described in literature is as high as 3.3% of all of the samples afferent to a clinical laboratory.
What makes a haemolysed sample unsuitable for analysis?
Haemolysed samples are the commonest cause for unsuitable for analysis samples. Haemolysis interferes with testing in many ways: Release of cellular content – Potassium, Folate, Magnesium, Phosphate, LDH, AST Release of enzymes that degrade analytes – Insulin, Troponin T Release of enzymes that interfere with assay – CK