TITLE:
Experimental Assessment of the Pre-Analytical Causes of Haemolysis and Their Effects on Serum Electrolytes (Na+, K+, Cl−) and Glucose among Students of Florence Nightingale Higher Institute of Health and Biomedical Sciences Bamenda
AUTHORS:
Lukong Hubert Shalanyuy, Shey Fortune Ndzi, Che Roland Achungu, Ndikaka Vannessa Emlah, Romi Tungleh Toboh, Emmanuel Foncham
KEYWORDS:
Haemolysis, Pre-Analytical Errors, Serum Electrolytes, Glucose, Potassium, Phlebotomy, Cameroon
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.13 No.8,
August
27,
2026
ABSTRACT: Haemolysis remains the most frequently encountered pre-analytical error in clinical laboratories, yet its specific impact on routine biochemical analytes under local laboratory conditions in resource-limited settings like Cameroon is poorly documented. This experimental study assessed the pre-analytical causes of serum haemolysis and their effects on serum electrolytes (Na+, K+, Cl−) and glucose among students of Florence Nightingale Higher Institute of Health and Biomedical Sciences, Bamenda. A total of 21 participants were recruited using convenience sampling. Venous blood samples were collected and divided into control and test portions. Haemolysis was experimentally induced through three pre-analytical manipulations: forcing blood through a needle into the collection tube (T1), vigorous shaking of blood collection tubes (T2), and excessive centrifugation speed (T3). Serum sodium, potassium, and chloride were measured by spectrophotometry, and glucose was determined using a glucometer. Data was analysed using one-way ANOVA, with statistical significance set at p in vitro haemolysis and that potassium is the analyte most vulnerable to haemolysis-induced bias, with elevations large enough to produce clinically misleading results. Sodium, chloride, and glucose remained relatively stable under the conditions studied. The study underscores the need for reinforced phlebotomy training, strict adherence to specimen handling protocols, and routine haemolysis monitoring in teaching and clinical laboratories in Cameroon.