Blood sampling guidelines with focus on patient safety and identification—a review.
Cornes M, Ibarz M, Ivanov H, et al. Blood sampling guidelines with focus on patient safety and identification - a review. Diagnosis (Berl). 2019;6(1):33-37. doi:10.1515/dx-2018-0042.
Common blood sample errors, such as mislabeling or patient misidentification, can contribute to diagnostic delays. This review highlights the importance of using open-ended questions to gather information from patients and suggests that specimens be labeled with the patient present to ensure accurate verification. A WebM&M commentary explored problems associated with mislabeled blood samples.