Error in laboratory report data for platelet count assessment in patients suspicious for dengue: a note from observation

This study is a retrospective analysis on laboratory report data of complete blood count in cases with suspicious dengue in a medical center within 1 month period during the outbreak season on October, 2015. According to the studied period, there were 184 requests for complete blood count for cases suspected for dengue. From those 184 laboratory report records, errors can be seen in 12 reports (6.5%). This study demonstrates that there are considerable high rate of post-analytical errors in laboratory reports. Interestingly, the platelet count in those erroneous reports can be unreliable and ineffective or problematic when it is used for the management of dengue suspicious patients.
Source: Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Disease - Category: Tropical Medicine Source Type: research