Hemolyzed Blood Samples in the Emergency Department - Finding Our “Why”

Abstract

When patients present to the emergency department, they expect strong communication from the hospital staff and short wait times and to be treated with empathy and compassion.1,2 Patients commonly present during a time of high stress and uncertainty, so addressing these areas of patient care as well as other areas that invoke patient harm have remained a focus for ED leaders: one area for improvement of ED care that has not received as much attention as its potential warrants is the hemolysis of blood samples.