Specimen Management

Discard Prior to Coagulation Specimen Collection

George, I would like to get your thoughts and references if possible about the “proper” amount of blood to discard before drawing samples for coagulation testing. In the current environment of minimizing blood waste and limiting volume of blood draws, we are reviewing our current policy. Our current SOP states to draw and discard 20 […]

Specimen Management

Specimen Integrity Survey Extended

On behalf of Dr. Franziska Broell, we’ve extended our Specimen Integrity Survay (click or tap) through April 30. Please see our March 1, 2019 Specimen Interity Survey entry describing Dr. Broell’s promising VitalTag device.

Specimen Management

Specimen Integrity Survey Quick Question

Our March, 2019 Quick Question consists of a Survey Monkey survey (click or tap) on specimen integrity. Please see the entry for a full explanation.

Quick Question Archive

Specimen Integrity Survey

With thanks to Stephen Duff, George was recently introduced to Franziska Broell of Halifax. Dr. Broeli has developed a device, the VitalTag, that is able to measure various specimen stresses such as storage time, temperature, and physical stresses. Click or tap here for preliminary information on the VitalTag. Dr. Broell has developed a questionnaire to […]

Specimen Management

Quick Question: Specimen Integrity Response

Our December, 2018 Quick Question on specimen integrity drew 46 responses. The question was, “How do you manage a plasma that appears to have fibrin strands?” Here are the answers: a. Reject and request a redraw: 41 (89%) b. Perform requested assay and report if non-critical: 1 (2%) c. Perform factor assays to confirm specimen […]

Quick Question Archive

Quick Question: Specimen Integrity

In follow-up to a December 1, 2018 post, Reference Lab Specimen Integrity, our December, 2018 Quick Question asks, “How do you manage a plasma that appears to have fibrin strands?” In case no answer matches your protocol, please provide a response below. Here is a response from Robyn Coleman: We would reject any sample for […]

Quick Question Archive

Reference Lab Specimen Integrity

Hello George, I was referred to you by my current professor John Landis. I have a question regarding PT‘s being performed in a reference lab setting. The laboratory that I work for is essentially a reference lab in that we get samples from the surrounding areas and even different states. We typically receive our samples […]

Specimen Management

When to Label Tubes: Reprise

On January 1, 2018, I posted the outcomes of our December, 2017 Quick Question, “When is the correct time to label blood specimen tubes?” Subsequent to this posting, Dennis Ernst, Dave McGlasson, and I co-authored an editorial, “Labeling tubes before collection threatens patient safety,” in the February, 2018 issue of Annals of Blood. Below are […]

Specimen Management

Coag Test Utilization

While visiting the University of Texas Medical Branch campus in Galveston, George had the opportunity to become acquainted with Mayukh Sarkar, PhD, Medical Laboratory Scientist in the Division of Hematopathology, Laboratory Services. Dr. Sarkar recently published Sarkar MK, Botz CM, Laposata M. An assessment of overutilization and underutilization of laboratory tests by expert physicians in […]

Specimen Management

More on Platelet Clumping

From Heather DeVries, Indiana University Health, a follow-up to Dr. King’s April 26 pseudothrombocytopenia entry: Hi George, I recently read an article by Drs. Adcock Funk, Lippi, and Favaloro about quality standards in coagulation testing. The article cited a study indicating that sending PFA samples through a pneumatic tube system would not cause a preanalytical […]

Specimen Management

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George Fritsma is a medical laboratory scientist, educator, and author. George is a member of the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis, the International Society for Laboratory Hematology, and the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science.

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