In Vitro and In Vivo Hemolysis

New Series: Patient Safety Medical errors do not only occur in the laboratory, but pose a direct threat to patient safety. The clinical laboratory is an integral part of care, and the results of analytics are an essential component of informed decision-making for clinicians. Efforts to avoid laboratory errors, especially minimizing pre- and postanalytical errors, are in the responsibility of laboratory professionals.The new handbook series with the international known editors Oswald Sonntag and Mario Plebani fills a vacancy in the relevant and promising area of patient safety and quality assurance.

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Defined as red blood cell break down and the release of hemoglobin and intracellular contents into the plasma, hemolysis can seriously impact patient care as well as the laboratory's reputation through its affect on test results. Therefore, the European Preanalytical Scientific Committee, in collaboration with the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry Working Group on Patient Safety, have designed a questionnaire to collect data on prevalence and management of hemolytic specimens referred to the clinical laboratories for clinical chemistry testing. This book will help identify the areas where hemolysis occurs most frequently, which can, in turn, guide further analysis about why it is occurring. Once these elements are known, practices and procedures can be implemented to dramatically reduce hemolysis and avoid erroneous laboratory results affecting patient care and increasing laboratory costs.