“There is no margin for error because specimens may hold the keys to our patients’ diagnoses and treatments,” Sharon Van Wicklin, MSN, RN, a perioperative nursing specialist, said in a Periop Insider article. “Errors in the specimen management process have potential to harm patients — physically and psychologically.”
The article provides five steps provider organizations can take to ensure safer specimen management, gleaned from the new recommended practices.
1. Document the time of excision and the time of fixation for breast cancer specimens.
2. Ensure the time from excision to fixation is less than 60 minutes for breast cancer specimens, as molecular and genetic signatures in the sample can change when deprived of oxygen.
3. Confirm documentation of the specimen site, including pictures.
4. Confirm specimen identification and labeling with surgical team members at the end of the procedure.
5. Remove unused labels at the end of each procedure to prevent the use of those labels on another patient’s specimen container or document.
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