To minimize laboratory errors and incorrect reporting of laboratory results, it is the policy of the Vanderbilt Clinical Laboratory to refuse to accept for analysis any blood sample that is not labeled with the patient’s name and medical record number. Therefore, physicians and nurses should carefully check all blood samples being sent to the lab to ensure they are appropriately labeled.

However, the Vanderbilt Clinical Laboratory recognizes that NICU patients are very small; blood samples may be very hard to obtain; and given the patient’s small blood volume, every sample is very precious. Therefore, if due to human error, a blood sample arrives in the lab without appropriate labeling, the laboratory will occasionally accept the sample for analysis IF the person who drew the sample will go to the lab and personally identify and label the sample.

Given the potential consequences of inappropriate sample identification, the above caveat cannot extend to the Vanderbilt Blood Bank. Any unlabeled specimen for Type & Cross will be discarded and must be redrawn.

Resolved at Nursery Policy & Procedure meeting 9/19/01