Rebekka Lynge , Christina I. Kirkvaag , Ida H. Eilenberger , Anne M.D. Hansen , Julie Smith
{"title":"To disinfect or not to disinfect that is the question – Procedure when drawing blood for alcohol measurements in Denmark","authors":"Rebekka Lynge , Christina I. Kirkvaag , Ida H. Eilenberger , Anne M.D. Hansen , Julie Smith","doi":"10.1016/j.plabm.2024.e00381","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Swabbing with ethanol to disinfect the skin before venipuncture does not bias measurements of blood ethanol, as previously suspected. International evidence-based theory may not always be successfully integrated into local practices, where old customs may remain. So how are the local protocols for swabbing in practice – if they even do swab? Not disinfecting may risk patient safety. We aim to put a focus on the venipuncture disinfection procedure in practice when measuring blood alcohol for clinical matters and if their procedure refers to a guideline.</p><p>Specialized biomedical laboratory scientists (BLS) are typically responsible for the phlebotomy procedure in Denmark, thus questionnaires were sent to the relevant BLS in 2020 to map disinfection procedures in all Danish hospitals and affiliated blood draw clinics (n = 58).</p><p>The response rate was 93% (54/58). We observed an inter-laboratory dissimilarity in swabbing procedures, when measuring blood alcohol: A quarter did not use any disinfectant (26%), while the remaining disinfected with ethanol 55%, isopropanol 13%, and 6% with ethanol/chlorhexidine. Of the five Danish regions, three had a regional guideline (3/5), otherwise the swabbing protocol was locally based. There was a regional difference in disinfecting or not (Chi<sup>2</sup> p < 0,0001).</p><p>Danish protocols do not always parallel international literature and international guidelines. Not applying disinfectant may jeopardize patient safety. Laboratories are encouraged to work with evidence-based practice or follow newest standardized international guidelines.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":20421,"journal":{"name":"Practical Laboratory Medicine","volume":"39 ","pages":"Article e00381"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352551724000271/pdfft?md5=3b28d77d8ceed9608c01af18444d1bc7&pid=1-s2.0-S2352551724000271-main.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Practical Laboratory Medicine","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352551724000271","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"MEDICAL LABORATORY TECHNOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Swabbing with ethanol to disinfect the skin before venipuncture does not bias measurements of blood ethanol, as previously suspected. International evidence-based theory may not always be successfully integrated into local practices, where old customs may remain. So how are the local protocols for swabbing in practice – if they even do swab? Not disinfecting may risk patient safety. We aim to put a focus on the venipuncture disinfection procedure in practice when measuring blood alcohol for clinical matters and if their procedure refers to a guideline.
Specialized biomedical laboratory scientists (BLS) are typically responsible for the phlebotomy procedure in Denmark, thus questionnaires were sent to the relevant BLS in 2020 to map disinfection procedures in all Danish hospitals and affiliated blood draw clinics (n = 58).
The response rate was 93% (54/58). We observed an inter-laboratory dissimilarity in swabbing procedures, when measuring blood alcohol: A quarter did not use any disinfectant (26%), while the remaining disinfected with ethanol 55%, isopropanol 13%, and 6% with ethanol/chlorhexidine. Of the five Danish regions, three had a regional guideline (3/5), otherwise the swabbing protocol was locally based. There was a regional difference in disinfecting or not (Chi2 p < 0,0001).
Danish protocols do not always parallel international literature and international guidelines. Not applying disinfectant may jeopardize patient safety. Laboratories are encouraged to work with evidence-based practice or follow newest standardized international guidelines.
期刊介绍：
Practical Laboratory Medicine is a high-quality, peer-reviewed, international open-access journal publishing original research, new methods and critical evaluations, case reports and short papers in the fields of clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine. The objective of the journal is to provide practical information of immediate relevance to workers in clinical laboratories. The primary scope of the journal covers clinical chemistry, hematology, molecular biology and genetics relevant to laboratory medicine, microbiology, immunology, therapeutic drug monitoring and toxicology, laboratory management and informatics. We welcome papers which describe critical evaluations of biomarkers and their role in the diagnosis and treatment of clinically significant disease, validation of commercial and in-house IVD methods, method comparisons, interference reports, the development of new reagents and reference materials, reference range studies and regulatory compliance reports. Manuscripts describing the development of new methods applicable to laboratory medicine (including point-of-care testing) are particularly encouraged, even if preliminary or small scale.
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号
