It is very important to mark the specimens of the pathology laboratory properly. The College of pathologists previously estimated that the average cost of labeling errors was about $280,000 per million specimens, with some of the larger institutes costing more than $1 million a year. 1 the wrong marking of samples also leads to an inability to provide proper and timely care for patients, which can seriously harm the incidence rate and mortality of patients.

How to mark laboratory specimens correctly?

Common sample label errors and their causes include:

    The person in charge failed to correctly match the patient identification standard with the doctor's order (the U.S. JCAHO requires inpatients and outpatients to use at least two identifiers)

    Failure of the person in charge to label the sample on the tube immediately after Sample Collection (e.g. putting the extracted tube into a cup of vomit basin and performing another task before labeling)

    The practice of drawing blood before receiving a test sheet, for example, drawing multiple tubes from a patient (sometimes in the emergency room) so that the specimen can be ready to be transported to the laboratory immediately after the order and label has been generated

    The practice of one staff member taking samples and another staff member marking samples (sometimes arterial blood gas or ABG measurement in the operating room or intensive care unit)

    The practice of collecting multiple patient specimens before attaching appropriate specimen labels to each patient's specimen collection tube

    Sample collection practices (which can also be related to the ABG draw in the intensive care environment) as well as handwritten backup applications and labels, which are correctly marked (secondary marking) before being analyzed by another staff member

    The practice of initially using a temporary label and then pasting permanent sample label during pre-inspection (secondary label)

    To protect patients from adverse errors caused by incorrect labeling of specimens, laboratory policy requires that appropriate labeling standards be met at all times. Each specimen taken to the laboratory must be labeled on its container. It is not acceptable to label only covers, Transport Bags, or other containers used to transport samples. The label must contain the following clear information:

• Patient name

• Medical record number with check digit

• Patient location

• Date and time of collection

• Sample type and/or source

• Test requirements (note any special handling requirements)

• Attending doctor

    Place the label straight along the length of the tube with the name at the top. This ensures that the barcode can be scanned while providing enough space to view the contents of the tube.

    Please label it flat. Make sure it is flush with the surface of the container. If you leave small lumps or wrinkles, it will be difficult to scan the barcode.

    Be sure to use the correct size label. Using a label that is too large for the tube will cause the label to cover the tube, giving it a “high collar” look. This distorts the label and makes the barcode unreadable. When the tube is opened, it also damages the label and makes it harder to open.

    Please be careful not to wrap the label horizontally and diagonally around the pipe or use it as a flag. If the tube is marked in this way, the scanner may not be able to read the barcode completely.