Statistical Analysis and Countermeasures for Specimen Rejection in the Emergency Department

Abstract

The rejected specimens from the Emergency Department of the Center of Clinical Laboratory from January 1, 2022 to January 1, 2023 were analyzed to reduce the specimen rejection rates and to improve the quality of inspection. The results showed that there were 1488 samples of rejected specimens and the non-conforming rate was 0.58%. The departments involved were mainly the Emergency Department, the Hematology Department, the Cardiology Department, the Intensive Care Department, and the Brain Surgery Department. Among the reasons for rejection, blood hemolysis accounted for 43.15%, blood coagulation accounted for 26.61%, and the rate of insufficient specimens was 17.14%. Among them, the sample rejection rate for arterial blood gas analysis was the highest, which accounted for 1.74%; followed by specimens for coagulation test, which was 1.18%. These results indicate the main reason for producing rejected specimens is mainly due to not following the standard operating procedure. Specimen rejection can largely be avoided if the standards for specimen collection are strictly followed.