Pre-Analytical Phase Awareness Amongst Doctors of a Tertiary Care Hospital - A Cause for Concern

Background & Objective: Errors in the pre-analytical phase constitute about 68% of all lab diagnostic errors and they occur mostly during specimen collection phase. The aim of our study was to assess awareness of resident and internee doctors regarding pre-analytical errors during venous blood sampling and handling. Methodology: This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted at Mayo Hospital, Lahore. One hundred and eighty residents and internees were included, whereas doctors working solely in Emergency & Pathology departments were excluded. Data were collected through questionnaire consisting of 29 questions. Results: A mean +/- SD of correct responses was 10.61 +/- 3 was found in total sample of 180 participants out of 25 selected questions. Higher mean values were observed in residents as compared to internees, in Pediatrics subjects as compared to other specialties and in graduates from outside Pakistan, as compared to local graduates. Amongst the questions with the lowest correct answer ratio were: forceful pulling of plunger of syringe (36.1%), awareness regarding evacuated tubes system (30%), vials used for hematological tests (5.6%), glucose estimation tests (4.4%) and plasma electrolytes estimation (0.0%). Conclusion: Study shows a lack of awareness of stages of pre-analytical phase, and thus of possible errors in this phase. This directly influences quality of lab results, compromising the time, finances and health of patients. Therefore, the situation demands prompt correction.