Collecting factors related to the haemolysis of blood specimens

Aim. The purpose of the study is to explore the collecting factors for the haemolysis of the blood specimens in a regional hospital in South Taiwan. Background. Blood collecting is one of the most common procedures used in hospital. However, it often faces the risk of haemolysis of blood specimens during laboratory testing and the specimens collected can be easily rejected by the laboratory. Methods. This is a descriptive and cross-sectional study. The purposive samples were collected from the blood specimens of the hospitalized patients or the emergency-room patients by using structured observational checklists which included demographic characteristics, caring factors and material factors. A total of 274 blood specimens was collected. Results. Specimens obtained from non-antecubital sites were 3.35 times at risk of haemolysis as many as those from antecubital sites (p = 0.001). Blood collected into tubes through steel needles were 3.7 times more at risk of haemolysis as that through syringes (after removing needles) (p = 0.002). Specimens delivered by ward assistants were 8.7 times more at risk for haemolysis as those by the laboratory staff (p < 0.01). Conclusions. These findings suggest that nurse supervisors establish a protocol related to preventing haemolysis. Future research should explore the effectiveness of this protocol to verify the relationship between different gauges of steel needles or catheters and haemolysis. Relevance to clinical practice. Nurse educators are encouraged to include the factors affecting and preventing haemolysis into the in service education. Therefore, findings may assist healthcare professionals in minimizing the risk of haemolysis and improve the quality of care.