What primary action should be taken if a hemolyzed sample is identified prior to testing?

The primary action of documenting and discarding a hemolyzed sample before testing is crucial because hemolysis can significantly affect the accuracy and reliability of laboratory test results. When red blood cells break down, they release intracellular components into the serum or plasma, which can lead to falsely elevated or decreased values for various analytes, such as potassium, lactate dehydrogenase, and other enzymes. This disruption may compromise the interpretation of results, leading to incorrect clinical decisions.

Documenting the hemolysis serves as a record of the sample’s quality for quality control purposes, making it clear to healthcare providers that the results may not be reliable due to pre-analytical factors. Simply going ahead with tests on a hemolyzed sample could lead to misleading outcomes, while retaining it for future comparisons does not address the immediate need for accurate results. Analyzing only the serum portion is also not appropriate, as it cannot eliminate the impact of hemolysis on test results. Therefore, the most responsible approach is to document the issue and discard the compromised sample, ensuring that subsequent testing is performed on an acceptable, non-hemolyzed specimen.