Abstract

Dengue is a common tropical infection that is still a global health threat. An important laboratory parameter for the management of dengue is platelet count. Platelet count is an useful test for diagnosis and following up on dengue. However, errors in laboratory reports can occur. This study is a retrospective analysis on laboratory report data of complete blood count in cases with suspicious dengue in a medical center within 1 month period during the outbreak season on October, 2015. According to the studied period, there were 184 requests for complete blood count for cases suspected for dengue. From those 184 laboratory report records, errors can be seen in 12 reports (6.5%). This study demonstrates that there are considerable high rate of post-analytical errors in laboratory reports. Interestingly, the platelet count in those erroneous reports can be unreliable and ineffective or problematic when it is used for the management of dengue suspicious patients.

Authors and Affiliations