ABSTRACT
Introduction:
The pre-analytical phase involves most of the errors of clinical analysis laboratories. Information characterizing the occurrence of these errors can be useful to provide prevention and reduction strategies.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to identify the main errors in the pre-analytical phase of a private laboratory in the city of Maringa-PR, and their occurrence rate.
Materials and methods:
Data were collected from sample recollection orders from June 2013 to May 2015. A total of 707,449 exams collections were registered, and 1,274 (0.18%) of these had ordered a new collection based on some criteria adopted by the laboratory.
Conclusion:
The pre-analytical phase represented 70.8% of the orders for new collection. According to the reports from the Quality Control Database, the most frequent reason of recollection in the preanalytical phase was insufficient sample volume (58.54%), followed by clotted sample (19.29%), hemolyzed sample (9.43%), incorrect labeling of sample (8.21%), lipemic sample (3%) and improper sample (1.56%). Although the results of nonconformity forms presented different records, both clearly point to problems in collection and patient registration sector, sustaining that the main problems of clinical laboratories arise from the failure in quality specifications for pre-analytical phase.
Key words:
blood samples collection; quality management; patient safety
