EDTA sample contamination is common and often undetected, putting patients at unnecessary risk of harm

International Journal of Clinical Practice

Volumn 63, Issue 8, 2009, Pages 1259-1262

  Sharratt, C L ^a   Gilbert, C J ^a   Cornes, M C ^a   Ford, C ^a   Gama, R ^a,b  

^a NEW CROSS HOSPITAL   (United Kingdom)

^b UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ANTICOAGULANT AGENT; CALCIUM; EDETIC ACID; MAGNESIUM; POTASSIUM; ZINC;

ARTICLE; BLOOD SAMPLING; CONTAMINATION; DIAGNOSTIC ERROR; EARLY DIAGNOSIS; FACTITIOUS DISEASE; HEALTH CARE QUALITY; HUMAN; HUMAN TISSUE; HYPERKALEMIA; HYPOCALCEMIA; HYPOMAGNESEMIA; LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS; PRIORITY JOURNAL; RESOURCE MANAGEMENT; ZINC BLOOD LEVEL;

ANTICOAGULANTS; BLOOD SPECIMEN COLLECTION; DIAGNOSTIC ERRORS; EDETIC ACID; EQUIPMENT CONTAMINATION; HUMANS; RISK FACTORS;

EID: 67749091317     PISSN: 13685031     EISSN: 17421241     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-1241.2008.01981.x     Document Type: Article

References (6)

1. Davidson D. Effects of contamination of blood specimens with liquid potassium-EDTA anticoagulant. Ann Clin Biochem 2002 39 : 273 80.
2. Cornes MC, Ford C, Gama R. Spurious hyperkalaemia due to EDTA contamination: common and not always easy to identify. Ann Clin Biochem 2008 45 : 601 3.
3. Fitzpatrick MF, Newell J, Grimes H, Egan EL. Spurious increase in plasma potassium concentration in plasma calcium due to in vitro contamination with liquid potassium edetic acid at phlebotomy. J Clin Pathol 1987 40 : 588.
4. Stevens RJ, Laina V, Wong CK, Coulson CE. A case of hyperkalaemia associated with hypocalcaemia. Emerg Med J 2008 25 : 379 80.
5. Naguib MT, Evans N. Combined false hyperkalaemia and hypocalcaemia due to specimen contamination during routine phlebotomy. South Med J 2002 95 : 1218 20.
6. ® analyser. Ann Clin Biochem 2007 44 : 294 6.