Date

4-2019

Project Type

URC Presentation

Department

Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences

College or School

COLSA

Class Year

Senior

Major

Medical Laboratory Science

Faculty Research Advisor

Stephanie Clarke

Abstract

It is the duty of the phlebotomist to provide the utmost of patient care and ensure that they properly handle blood specimen for accurate results. This warrants proper diagnoses and treatment plans communicated to the patient by the provider. Factors delaying the centrifugation of blood specimen in an SST tube were observed and used as the basis for this simulation where tubes of blood from willing Core Physicians patients sat unspun for either the standard 15 minutes, one hour, or four hours prior to centrifugation. Ten analytes were analyzed by a medical technologist in each tube and conclusions were made based on the statistical and clinical significance of the differences in values. Glucose showed the greatest change over time, showing that delayed centrifugation could contribute to potential missed diagnoses of pre-diabetes or type II diabetes. Overall, the results indicate a need for more consistent phlebotomy logistics and strengthened relationships between the physician and the lab.

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