Question

1. A Phlebotomist is sent to a patient at the cardiac care unit (CCU) of IIT Bombay Hospital to collect a blood sample for fasting blood sugar (FBS). The patient has tiny veins, so he selects a small grey –top tube and proceeds to collect the specimen. While blood is filling the tube, the patient’s nurse tells him that the Physician has added a potassium test to the request. He finishes collecting the FBS specimen, grabs a small-volume lavender/violet top-tube, and proceeds to collect the potassium specimen.

1. What error did the phlebotomist make?                                                                          
2. Which specimen could be affected by the error, and how?                                             
3. What effect could the error have on laboratory test results?                                               
4. How could the error have been avoided?                                                  

   

Answer 1

1.The error which the phlebotomist made was by using the Lavender top tube for the collection of blood for testing of potassium levels.

2.The specimen which could be affected by this is the blood which would be taken from the patients body.The lavender top vial contain an anticoagulant called potassium ethylenediaminetetraaceticacid.This anticoagulant increases the level of potassium in the bood sample.

3 The error can cause pseudohyperkalemia and may give false raised level of potassium in the laboratory report for which the sample is being tested.

4.The error could have been avoided by using the right colored vial.Potassium is measured in a test called Electrolyte panel.For this test the sample is collected in a Green top tube.