Your key to reliable laboratory results

Laboratory medical diagnostics has become more reliable due to the introduction of statistical quality control.

However, the more laboratory errors can be ruled out by these measures, the more frequently and clearly errors in patient preparation, sampling and dispatch of samples come to the fore as the cause of clinically implausible laboratory findings.

In addition to the influences of diet, body position and time of day on the composition of the blood sample, differences between capillary and venous blood and between serum and plasma are important for the analytical result. Errors during sample collection or transport can alter the measurement result to such an extent that diagnostic misinterpretations can occur.

With the following information we try to raise awareness for problems in pre-analysis which can only be solved in close cooperation between sender and laboratory.