What happens to specimens that are rejected by the laboratory for hemolysis?

When specimens are rejected by the laboratory due to hemolysis, they are typically discarded without further action. Hemolysis refers to the breakdown of red blood cells, which can compromise the integrity of the sample and lead to inaccurate test results. Therefore, laboratories have stringent policies regarding the quality of specimens they accept for testing. A hemolyzed sample is considered unsuitable for most analyses, as it can elevate certain analytes and produce misleading results.

Retesting a hemolyzed specimen may not provide valid or reproducible results, as the underlying issue with the integrity of the sample cannot be corrected. Although processing the sample while flagging it as abnormal or analyzing it for additional information could be options in some contexts, they are not standard practices for severely hemolyzed samples. Discarding the specimen helps maintain the reliability of laboratory results and patient safety. Thus, discarding hemolyzed specimens ensures that only high-quality, reliable samples are processed for diagnostic purposes.