Werfen added their help to a current publication underscoring the pressing want to deal with the dangers of undetected in vitro hemolysis.
RT’s Three Key Takeaways:
- Vital Preanalytical Danger – A brand new multi-author Particular Report highlights undetected in vitro hemolysis as a significant supply of laboratory error that may distort key outcomes—particularly potassium—and jeopardize affected person administration.
- Excessive-Danger Settings – Hemolysis charges stay particularly excessive in emergency and intensive care environments, the place misinterpreted outcomes can result in inappropriate therapy, repeat sampling, and elevated prices.
- Name to Motion – The report urges hospital-wide adoption of fast hemolysis detection and standardized prevention methods, aligning with Werfen’s emphasis on point-of-care applied sciences that enhance diagnostic accuracy and affected person care.
Werfen counseled the current publication of a big, multi-author Particular Report, underscoring the pressing want to deal with the dangers of undetected in vitro hemolysis, a preanalytical error with the potential to negatively impression affected person care.1 The Firm congratulates the authors on this necessary and well timed publication.
Printed within the Journal of Utilized Laboratory Drugs (JALM)—a global, peer-reviewed publication—the Particular Report, “Dealing with Hemolytic Blood Samples from Excessive-Danger Scientific Areas: A Name to Motion,” advocates for a coordinated, hospital-wide method to higher detect, forestall, and handle in vitro hemolysis, notably in high-risk settings, equivalent to emergency departments and intensive care items.1 The report highlights hemolysis as a big explanation for preanalytical error, with the potential to trigger misinterpretation of important outcomes, most notably potassium.
“This necessary publication highlights the prevalence and dangers of undetected hemolysis in complete blood samples, which might impression check outcomes all through the hospital,” stated Annie Winkler, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Werfen. “With progressive expertise that detects hemolysis on the level of care in seconds, we can assist hospitals expedite decision-making, improve effectivity, and most significantly, enhance affected person administration.”
Because the primary supply of preanalytical error, hemolysis accounts for as much as 70% of all such errors.2 Regardless of its prevalence all through the hospital, it could typically go unrecognized. Hemolysis is the disruption of pink blood cells, triggering the discharge of hemoglobin and different intracellular parts into plasma or serum. This will trigger an elevation in potassium outcomes, of as much as 152%.3 In samples impacted by hemolysis, low potassium ranges can seem regular and regular ranges can seem excessive. On the level of care, this will result in inappropriate affected person administration, longer size of keep, pointless pattern recollection and elevated prices, amongst different penalties.4-8
In neonatal intensive care items, practically half of complete blood samples have been discovered to be hemolyzed, whereas in emergency departments, as much as 20% could also be hemolyzed.2, Sep 11
This Particular Report reinforces the issue of in vitro hemolysis, emphasizes the necessity for hemolysis detection in complete blood and offers six suggestions as a name to motion to deal with this vital preanalytical error.
References from Wefen
1. Wu AHB, Levy JH, Peacock WF, Rimawi R, Sanchez Luna M, Farnsworth C, Stiegler H, Christenson RH. Dealing with Hemolytic Blood Samples from Excessive-Danger Scientific Areas: A Name to Motion. JALM. 2025;10(5):1347–1361. doi.org/10.1093/jalm/jfaf082
2. Lippi G, Salvagno GL, Favaloro EJ, Guidi GC. Survey on the prevalence of hemolytic specimens in an educational hospital in response to assortment facility: alternatives for high quality enchancment. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2009;47(5):616–618. doi:10.1515/CCLM.2009.132
3. Lippi G, Fontana R, Avanzini P, Sandei F, Ippolito L. Affect of spurious hemolysis on blood gasoline evaluation. Clin Chem Lab Med. 2013;51(8):1651–1654. doi:10.1515/cclm-2012-0802
4. O’Hara M, Wheatley EG, Kazmierczak SC. The impression of undetected in vitro hemolysis or pattern contamination on affected person care and outcomes in point-of-care testing: a retrospective examine. J Appl Lab Med. 2020;5(2):332-341. doi:10.1093/jalm/jfz020
5. Phelan MP, Ramos C, Walker LE, et al. The hidden price of hemolyzed blood samples within the emergency division. J Appl Lab Med.2021;6(6):1607–1610. doi:10.1093/jalm/jfab035
6. Phelan MP, Hustey FM, Good DM, Reineks EZ. Seeing pink: blood pattern hemolysis is related to extended emergency division throughput. J Appl Lab Med. 2020;5(4):732–737. doi:10.1093/jalm/jfaa073
7. Wilson M, Adelman S, Maitre JB, et al. Accuracy of hemolyzed potassium ranges within the emergency division. West J Emerg Med.2020;21(6):272–275. doi:10.5811/westjem.2020.8.46812
8. Milutinović D, Andrijević I, Ličina M, Andrijević L. Confidence degree in venipuncture and information on causes of in vitro hemolysis amongst healthcare professionals. Biochem Med. 2015;25(3):401–409. doi:10.11613/BM.2015.040
9. Nichols JH, Apple FS. Prevalence of hemolyzed ends in acute care settings. J Appl Lab Med. 2023;8:431-434. doi:10.1093/jalm/jfac141
10. Tóth J, Oláh AV, Petercsák T, et al. Detection of haemolysis, a frequent preanalytical downside within the serum of newborns and adults. EJIFCC. 2020;31(1):6
11. Khedr S, Blake V, Erdogan E. Neonatal unit hemolysis charges from an educational medical heart: A top quality enchancment venture. Arch Path Lab. 2016;140(6):502-503. doi:10.5858/arpa.2015-0252-le
12. Werfen. GEM Premier 7000 with iQM3 Operators Handbook. P/N 00000026407. Rev 00. Aug 2023.
13. Werfen. Enhancing affected person care whereas controlling prices. G7K VAC PAK WW. Rev 00.
