Types and frequency of preanalytical errors occurring in the hematology laboratory at Debre Tabor comprehensive specialized hospital, North Central, Ethiopia, 2025

Abstract

This study assessed the types and frequency of pre-analytical errors in the hematology laboratory at Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, recognizing that such errors are most common in the pre-analytical phase, significantly affecting laboratory results, which influence 60–70% of clinical decisions. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the hematology laboratory of Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital from March 1 to April 30, 2025. All hematology test requests and blood samples received during routine hours were included. Pre-analytical errors were assessed using a checklist, and data were verified before entry into Epi-Data version 4.0. Analysis was carried out using STATA version 14, focusing on descriptive statistics, such as frequency and percentage. A total of 2,221 blood samples and their request forms were reviewed, with 50.11% from the inpatient department and 49.89% from the outpatient department. Only 19.45% of the forms contained complete data. While patients’ names and laboratory tests were included, critical information such as diagnosis (20.08%), date of request (8.46%), and patient age (7.16%) was missed. Additionally, 5.4% of samples were of poor quality, mainly due to insufficient volume (1.35%) and unlabeled samples (1.22%). Pre-analytical errors remain a major challenge in laboratory medicine, largely due to human factors in test requests, specimen collection, transport, and processing. In the hematology lab, 80.55% of requisition forms contained errors, while 5.4% of specimens were inadequate for analysis. Reducing these errors requires better ward–laboratory communication, the adoption of laboratory information systems, and continuous staff training with competency assessments.