Errors in handling patient’s specimens in laboratories of Basrah Hospitals

Aim: This study was conducted to illustrate the errors in handling patient’s specimen all the way from patients to laboratory. Material and method: Outpatient staff, patients, and laboratory staff asked to answer questions in three separated questionnaire forms during the period between February-April 2016. One hundred and thirty-eight individuals asked to answer questions in three separated questionnaire forms, 34(24.64%) outpatient staff, 53(38.41%) patients and 51(36.96%) laboratory staff in different hospitals in Basrah. Among the patient group, 25 (47.17%) males and 28 (52.83%) were females. SPSS version 20 used for analysis the data. Results: Among the outpatient staff, 61.76% do not invert the tube to mix blood specimen with anticoagulant, 58.82% do not check expiration date on the tube before usage. Also 41.18% do not explain to the patient how to collect the specimen. Among patient group, 12% males and 21.43% females wash the urinary opening and the surrounding areas before collecting urine specimen. Percentage of females who give the specimen immediately to outpatient staff (46.43%) was statistically significant in comparison to men (P-value was 0.04).