Blood sample hemolysis reduction
Abstract:
Background: Minimizing hemolysis during phlebotomy ensures accurate chemistry results and reduces specimen cancellations and recollections. We developed videos demonstrating best practices to reduce hemolysis and tested whether distribution to clinical nurse educators (CNEs) for provision to nursing staff affected the degree of specimen hemolysis in hospital inpatient units and outpatient clinics.
Methods: Videos of common blood collections demonstrating best practices to reduce hemolysis were filmed and distributed via email link to all hospital-based CNEs in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (https://vimeo.com/user18866730/review/159869683/a0cec9827f). Roche hemolysis index (H-index) results from all specimens +/- 12 months from the date of video distribution were extracted from Roche Cobas IT middleware (cITM) and linked to collection location. An interrupted time series (ITS) analysis was used to quantify impact of video distribution on weekly mean log-H-index.
Results: In +/- 3 months of data flanking video distribution (n= 137 241 collections), overall H-index trajectory (change per week) decreased immediately following video distribution (-5.7% / week, p<0.01). This was accompanied by a 22% drop in overall H-index from the week before to the week after video distribution (y-intercept change, or gap). There was also a small but significant overall decrease in the proportion of hemolyzed specimens (-0.3%, p < 0.01). These changes were not observed at all collection locations, and at some locations increases were in fact observed.
Conclusions: We developed a novel and convenient educational aid that, when distributed, was associated with beneficial changes in specimen hemolysis at hospital inpatient units and outpatient clinics. Including it in ongoing nursing education will fill a knowledge gap that may help to reduce specimen hemolysis.
Reference:
de Koning L, Orton D, Long IS, Boyd J, Kellogg M, Abdullah A, Naugler C, Tsui A, Strange B, Glaser D. Distribution of videos demonstrating best practices in preventing hemolysis is associated with reduced hemolysis among nurse-collected specimens in hospitals. Clin Biochem. 2023 Aug 12:110632. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2023.110632. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37579938.