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Article: Addressing 'order of draw' in comparative calcium levels. (Letters to the Editor).(Letter to the Editor)
- Article from:
- Medical Laboratory Observer
- Article date:
- December 1, 2001
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Nelson Publishing. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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I read with interest the answer given in the July MLO "Tips from the clinical experts" column, concerning comparative calcium levels from one hospital clinical lab to the next. One possibility (and the easiest to investigate) has not been addressed in this question -- order of draw in the collection process.
Several years ago, our institution did a study on calcium levels and order of draw. (1) It was determined that the difference in the calcium levels drawn at the beginning of a collection and those collected at the end were significant enough to have an impact on the clinical management of the patient. The individual submitting the question needs to ...