A Phlebotomist is sent to a patient at the cardiac care unit (CCU) of Korle-bu teaching hospital to collect a blood sample for fasting blood sugar (FBS). The patient has tiny veins,
so he selects a small grey –top tube and proceeds to collect the specimen. While blood is
filling the tube, the patient’s nurse tells him that the Physician has added a potassium test
to the request. He finishes collecting the FBS specimen, grabs a small-volume
lavender/violet top-tube, and proceeds to collect the potassium specimen.
a) What error did the phlebotomist make? [2 marks]
b) Which specimen could be affected by the error, and how? [1 mark]
c) What effect could the error have on laboratory test results? [1 mark]
d) How could the error have been avoided? [1 mark]
e) Briefly outline the role of Chemical Pathology in healthcare.