[Hemolytic Anemia with Excessively Elevated Lactic Dehydrogenase Levels]

Area of Science:

• Clinical pathology
• Laboratory medicine
• Diagnostic interpretation

Background:

• Electronic medical record systems facilitate access to patient clinical information from laboratories.
• There's a risk that abnormal laboratory data may be overlooked when elucidating disease mechanisms using electronic records.

Observation:

• A reversed clinicopathological conference analyzed laboratory data from a patient with elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LD) and anemia.
• Hemolysis was evident from elevated LD, anemia, and low haptoglobin; however, an excessive LD increase suggested a specific hemolytic mechanism.

Findings:

• Prolonged prothrombin time with normal activated partial thromboplastin time indicated suspected drug intake.
• The pathological mechanism was elucidated solely based on laboratory data, emphasizing thorough analysis.

Implications:

• Analyzing laboratory data comprehensively is vital for accurate pathological mechanism elucidation.
• Training for medical technologists and clinicians in interpreting laboratory data for pathological insights is recommended.
• This approach enhances diagnostic accuracy and improves laboratory report quality.