Specimen labeling - 'Comma'

[Toshiko]

I was wondering how other facilities, that hand label the blood bank specimen, handle the placement of the comma. In cases of last name, first name or first name, last name is the placement of the comma important? Would the placement or absence of a comma be cosidered a "mis-label"? What if both names could be considered a first name? At this facility we use the patient's name and medical record number as identifiers.

[Malcolm Needs ☆]

We would not consider a missing comma a mislabel, even in the case of both names being considered as a first name.

[Toshiko]

So, is the comma irrevelant? Should it be considered if present and the names whiched? example: James Robert or James, Robert.

[Malcolm Needs ☆]

I must admit, I got the wrong end of the stick to start with. I thought that you were talking about a name like, for example, O'Connor, but it still makes no difference in our Laboratory.

If the name is James Robert, or Robert James, as long as ALL details (Date of Birth and Hospital Number) agree on both sample and request form, we are duty bound to accept it. We do, however, encourage our hospitals to put the surname in capital letters (James ROBERT, where the surname is Robert, and Robert JAMES, where the surname is James). This encouragement has fallen completely on deaf ears, I might add!

The problem is, the first time the sample comes in, you don't know. It is only with the submission of subsequent samples that we may find out which is which (or when the patient themselves complains because we have their names switched on an antibody record card issued to them.

The other problem is that of names that are unfamiliar to the English. We recently had a sample on a Sri Lankan patient submitted to us. The forename and the surname were both other 15 characters long, and even my laboratory assistant, who is himself Sri Lankan, could not tell which was which.

In a way, therefore, the answer is "a lemon", in as much as the comma should count, but in most cases it cannot, as we know no better on the first submission of a sample.

:disbelief:disbelief

[AMcCord]

We don't require the comma but do require that the names on the tube label appear in the same order as the test request/patient ID band. The computer generated test request and ID band label are supposed to be 'Last name, First name middle initial'. (Frank, Robert E). Of course , that depends on admitting getting the name right (which is a whole 'nother problem!).

[David Saikin]

If you are concerned about the comma, you should define succinctly in your specimen collection procedure how you want it done. Personally, I agree with everyone else that the comma is a moot point.

[Toshiko]

Thank-you all for your replies, yes it is in our SOP that the patient name on the blood bank specimen be exactly like the patient hospital ID (comma is present). Yes, I agree that the 'comma' is a moot point except when there is a possiblity of 2 names that can considered the 1st name. ( you cannot believe how many of these we have at this facility and it can be kinda scary)(South central USA). Our staff wanted to know how other facilities handle this type of situation, before we make any decision on how flexible to be with our SOP; because once you go down that road it is difficult to go back.