A Novel Approach to Managing Hemolyzed Specimens

Lester Pretlow; Shamala Johnson; Barbara Russell; Bridget Evans

doi:10.29074/ascls.26.3.153

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Lester Pretlow, PhD⇑
1. Department of Medical Laboratory, Imaging and Radiologic Sciences, College of Allied Health Sciences, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA
Shamala Johnson, MHS-CLS
1. Department of Medical Laboratory, Imaging and Radiologic Sciences, College of Allied Health Sciences, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA
Barbara Russell, EdD
1. Department of Medical Laboratory, Imaging and Radiologic Sciences, College of Allied Health Sciences, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA
Bridget Evans, BS
1. Core Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Georgia Regents Health System, Inc., Augusta, GA 30912

Address for Correspondence: Lester Pretlow, PhD,
Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Medical Laboratory, Imaging and Radiologic Sciences, College of Allied Health Sciences, Georgia Regents University, 987 Sebastian Way, EC-2437, Augusta, GA 30912, 706-721-7626, lpretlow{at}gru.edu

Abstract

Hemolyzed specimens continue to cost the laboratory time and money. However, the core laboratory at Georgia Regents Health System, Inc. has instituted a novel approach to managing this problem. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the laboratory's new approach had a significant impact on the turn-around time (TAT) and cost of processing hemolyzed and non-hemolyzed specimens in the laboratory. The investigators queried the laboratory information systems for hemolyzed and non-hemolyzed specimens categorized as routine or STAT from the core laboratory and calculated statistical differences between the groups with respect to TAT and cost.The investigators found a statistically significant difference in the time it takes to process STAT hemolyzed specimens versus non-hemolyzed specimens with the new approach. Because of the new approach, hemolyzed specimens were actually processed as fast as, or faster than non-hemolyzed specimens in the core laboratory.

ABBREVIATIONS: GRU - Georgia Regents University, GRSU - Georgia Regents Health System, TAT - Turn-around time, LIS - Laboratory Information System, RT - Report Times, TSC - Technical Staff Cost