Observational studyAnnals of Saudi medicine
Frequencies and causes of pre-analytical errors in a tertiary care hospital laboratory in Saudi Arabia.
Observational study in Annals of Saudi medicine. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Partitioning All-Cause Pre-Analytical Laboratory Rejections: A 25-Month Retrospective Audit of Specimen Quality Failures with Six Sigma, IFCC, and Pareto Analysis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Evaluation of Pre-Analytical Performance Using IFCC Quality Indicators, Six Sigma Metrics and Root Cause Analysis in a Biochemistry Laboratory-A Retrospective Study.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Integrating narrative medicine into laboratory quality improvement: a sustainable model for reducing coagulation specimen rejections.Implementation science communications · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundErrors in clinical laboratory tests can have a detrimental effect on healthcare delivery. The pre-analytical phase accounts for most laboratory errors, known as pre-analytical errors (PAEs).
objectiveThis study investigated the causes and frequencies of PAEs occurring within a laboratory of a tertiary care hospital.
designA single-center, retrospective, observational study.
settingKing Abdul-Aziz Specialist Hospital, Taif, Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND
methodsAll laboratory test orders and repeated or rejected specimens in the Laboratory Information System (LIS) during 2021. The data consisted of the types of PAEs, their distribution across laboratory sections, the patient source among hospital departments, and the working shift during which PAEs were recorded.
main outcome measuresThe causes and frequencies of PAEs across laboratory sections, hospital departments, and work shifts were analyzed. SAMPLE SIZE: 2104 PAEs from a total of 3 346 199 test orders.
resultsOf the 3 346 199 test orders, 3137 were recorded as either repeated or rejected. Of these, 2104 (67.1%) were attributed to PAEs, representing a rate of 0.063% (95% CI: 0.060-0.066%) of the total test orders. 'Clotted specimens' (32%) and 'insufficient quantity' (31%) were the most frequent PAEs. Significant differences were identified in the error rate and type of PAEs across laboratory sections, hospital departments, and working shifts (
conclusionOur study revealed a low overall PAE rate of 0.063%. 'Clotted specimens' and 'insufficient quantity' were the most frequent errors. Importantly, we identified significant differences in the types of PAEs across laboratory sections, hospital departments, and working shifts, indicating their multifaceted and context-dependent nature. LIMITATIONS: A retrospective, single-center study.
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