Erros pré-analíticos: avaliação das não conformidades em amostras sanguíneas encaminhadas ao laboratório de patologia clínica veterinária do hospital veterinário da UFRPE

Abstract

Complementary exams are important tools in clinical decision-making. With technological advances, there is an increase in diagnostic information and, consequently, the importance of the quality of the results obtained. However, for greater reliability of the tests, the period from filling out the request to delivering the sample to the laboratory, called the pre-analytical phase, deserves a lot of attention. The objective was to identify and describe the frequencies of nonconformities found during the pre-analytical phase in blood samples sent for blood count at the Laboratory of Veterinary Clinical Pathology at HOVET-UFRPE, supporting decision-making for the correction and prevention of such problems. During the months of March to May 2022, the collection of samples for blood count sent from the daily routine in the laboratory was carried out. Among the 791 samples, 317 (40.07%) had some pre-analytical error, with most cases referring to the canine species, in agreement with the hospital casuistry. Errors were grouped into three groups involving sample quality, requisition and collection tube. In the first group, the main alteration found was hemolysis, in 37.87% of the samples; followed by lipemia. In the second, we have incomplete completion of the requisitions and illegible handwriting with 34% and 15.5%, respectively, and, to a lesser extent, the absence of identification of the collection tube representing the third group. The results are below those found in the literature due to the logistics of delivery and control by the laboratory, however, they represent almost half of the total received. The computerization of the hospital system and awareness of the improvement in the pre-analytical phase are possible promising resolutions.