View source for Hemolysis, Icterus & Lipemia

== Hemolysis ==

=== Causes ===

* Intravascular
** Hemolytic anemia
** Transfusion reactions
* Extravascular
** Vigorous mixing
** Venipuncture
*** Difficult draw
*** Tourniquet left on for too long
*** Use of small needle (e.g., butterfly) - higher gauge is smaller needle (23 gauge is smaller than 21 gauge)
** Old sample

=== Interferences/Issues ===

* Release of cellular contents can falsely affect chemistry results
* Damage to blood cells can affect hematology results
* Can affect optical measurements

== Icterus ==

* Elevated bilirubin in blood due to disease states
* May interfere with optical measurements at 400-540 nm
* May interfere with certain test methods

== Lipemia ==

* High levels of fats/lipids in serum or plasma portion of blood
* May be due to diet (recent fatty meal)
* Can be pathological
* Interferes with optical tests
** Ultracentrifugation to remove lipids