The preanalytic phase - An important component of laboratory medicine

The preanalyic phase is an important component of total laboratory quality. A wide range of variables that affect the result for a patient from whom a specimen of blood or body fluid has been collected, including the procedur e for collection, handling, and processing before analysis, constitute the preanalytic phase. Physiologic variables, such as lifestyle, age, and sex, and conditions such as pregnancy and menstruation, are some of the preanaly tic phase factors Endogenous variables such as drugs or circulating antibod ies might interact with a specific method to yield spurious analytic result s. The preanalytic phase variables affect a wide range of laboratory discip lines.