Laboratory results which appear inconsistent with the patient’s condition (or incompatible with life) are potentially spurious. Spurious lab results can be attributed to either

(1) the technique of drawing the sample

Examples include: hyperkalemia due to hemolyzed blood from a heel stick, hyponatremia due to blood drawn from a UAC or peripheral arterial line diluted with ½ NS, hyperglycemia due to blood drawn through a line infusing TPN and contaminated with dextrose, or profound PTT elongation when coags are measured on blood drawn through a heparinized line.

or (2) an equipment malfunction in the laboratory.

Presumed spurious laboratory results should be repeated and confirmed before changing the patient’s management. Careful attention should be paid to the technique by which the sample is obtained, and the laboratory should be notified of the need for a repeat specimen. If the spurious results were obtained on the Respiratory Therapy blood gas analyzer, send ½ of the repeat specimen to the RT lab and ½ of the repeat specimen to the main clinical laboratory to check equipment accuracy and precision.

Discussed at Nursery Policy & Procedure meeting 9/19/01.