Alleged Lab Error Leads to Potential Medical Malpractice Case

Case Overview

This case involves an adolescent who presented to the emergency department with abdominal discomfort. Upon testing, a urine analysis allegedly indicated an abnormal finding of a large amount of semen. Subsequent investigations revealed that the initial lab results were incorrect, raising questions about the integrity of the laboratory processes and whether industry standards were upheld during the analysis. Timely and accurate reporting of laboratory results is crucial in emergency medicine, where misdiagnoses can lead to inappropriate treatments and significant emotional distress for patients and their families. In this scenario, the determination of the error's origin and the protocol followed in correcting the report will be essential in assessing liability.

Questions to the Laboratory Medicine expert and their responses

Please describe your experience in lab management, specifically as it relates to hospital laboratories.

I have been a Laboratory Director for clinical laboratories in organizations from 25 to 380 beds. Each has had Emergency Departments and each has had a lab section performing urinalysis. In my first position, I had to deal with the question of when and how to report sperm in urine samples.

Briefly, what are the current procedures in place for conducting a urine analysis and what information would you need to determine if those standards were upheld?

It is determined that the technical staff report what they see. It is in the purview of the physician to interpret the significance of that finding. There is no overarching standard for reporting sperm in urine. Policy is set with a medical director's approval and potentially input from practicing physicians in the institution as well as research on policy options by laboratory technical staff. However, results that are questionable can always be referred to a pathologist/med director by technical staff. Some questions I have include how it was determined the report was incorrect and who made the determination. I would also need to know what the policy was for correcting reported results and if it followed. There are gaps in the overview that require detailed responses to track process and decision-making from collection to final report. The key is to drill down on the event of the alleged incorrectly reported result.

About the expert

This expert has over 30 years of experience in laboratory administration. She earned her BS in medical technology from Hahnemann Medical College and University and her MS in clinical chemistry from Northeastern University. She is licensed as both a medical technologist and clinical laboratory director and is active in her field as a member of the Clinical Laboratory Management Association. She formerly served as the director of diagnostic information services at Braintree Hospital Rehabilitation Network, as the laboratory director at Reliant Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital, as the director of laboratory services at South Shore Hospital, and as the interim director of laboratory sciences at North Oaks Medical Center. Currently, this expert is the interim laboratory director of a hospital in Louisiana.

E-966318

Specialties:

Laboratory Medicine