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Microarray-based Identification of Individual HERV Loci Expression: Application to Biomarker Discovery in Prostate Cancer
Published on: November 2, 2013
Patient identification error among prostate needle core biopsy specimens--are we ready for a DNA time-out?
Eric J Suba1, John D Pfeifer, Stephen S Raab
1Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, South San Francisco, California 94080, USA. eric.suba@kp.org
The Journal of Urology
|August 19, 2007
Summary
Patient identification errors in surgical pathology, particularly with prostate needle biopsies, are difficult to prevent. A DNA time-out using DNA polymorphic microsatellite analysis can eliminate these errors before treatment.
Area of Science:
- Medical error analysis
- Surgical pathology workflow
- Biopsy specimen identification
Background:
- Patient identification errors in surgical pathology, especially with prostate and breast needle core biopsies, pose significant risks.
- These errors can lead to catastrophic patient outcomes.
- Strategies to mitigate these risks are crucial for patient safety.
Observation:
- Root cause analyses of three prostate needle core biopsy identification errors revealed workflow vulnerabilities.
- Errors stem from human slips and lapses at various pre-laboratory, laboratory, and post-laboratory stages.
- Optimizing workflow processes alone may not entirely prevent these identification errors.
Findings:
- Patient identification errors in surgical pathology are linked to human error in workflow processes.
- Prostate needle biopsy identification errors are challenging to eliminate solely through workflow improvements.
- A DNA time-out procedure offers a potential solution.
Implications:
- Implementing a DNA time-out before definitive treatment can prevent patient identification errors in needle biopsies.
- DNA polymorphic microsatellite analysis serves as a reliable method for confirming patient identity.
- This strategy enhances patient safety in surgical pathology and oncology.
