Paper I — 2023 July (Supplementary) (2019 Scheme) — Q19
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Paper I
2023 July (Supplementary) (2019 Scheme) · 100 marks · 180 min
Question
A blood sample received from pediatric ward for culture was found missing in the
laboratory. What measures will you adopt to handle such a situation.
Q191 marks
Answer
Measures for a missing blood culture sample from the paediatric ward:
Immediately notify the laboratory in-charge/quality manager and the requesting clinician/ward, since a delay in a critically ill child’s culture result (or its complete loss) can directly affect patient management.
Search the sample-receipt log and specimen-tracking system to trace the last recorded location of the sample (reception, transport, processing bench) and check for any labelling/accessioning discrepancy that may have caused it to be misfiled under an incorrect identifier.
Document the incident formally (an incident report) as part of the laboratory’s quality management system, recording the sequence of events for root-cause analysis.
Request a repeat sample from the patient as soon as possible, informing the clinical team of the need for recollection, ideally before any further antibiotic dose is given (to preserve culture sensitivity).
Root-cause analysis and corrective action — review specimen-handling procedures (labelling, transport, chain-of-custody/tracking) to identify and correct the underlying process failure, preventing recurrence.
Communicate transparently with the treating team and, per institutional policy, with the patient’s family about the situation and the plan for recollection.
