Background:Inadequately completed laboratory test request forms contribute to preanalytical errors and limit the advice of pathologists when interpreting laboratory test results. Educating clinicians about this has been proposed by several studies as a strategy to reduce the occurrence.Aim:We aimed to determine the effectiveness of such education on the prevalence of adequately completed laboratory test request forms.Subjects and Methods:This was a quasi-experimental study conducted at the chemical pathology laboratory of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Incoming laboratory request forms were audited for a period of 1 month looking out for eight data variables. Subsequently, intensive clinician education was undertaken via seminars, publications, and orientation programs on 670 clinicians for 6 weeks duration. After that, a repeat audit for the same data variables was conducted for another period of 1 month. A Z-test of significance for the comparison of independent proportions was conducted for form errors pre- and post-intervention.Results:Error rates for missing variables pre- and post-clinician education were: Name pre = 0 (0%), post = 0 (0%); age pre = 330 (21.6%), post = 28 (1.9%), P < 0.001; gender pre = 64 (4.2%), post = 53 (3.6%), P = 0.37; hospital number pre = 848 (55.6%), post = 524 (35.3%), P < 0.001; clinician name pre = 165 (10.8%), post = 64 (4.3%), P < 0.001; ward/clinic pre = 311 (20.4%), post = 235 (15.8%), P < 0.01; clinical diagnosis pre = 220 (14.4%), post = 33 (2.2%), P < 0.001; specimen type pre = 169 (11.1%), post = 116 (7.8%), P < 0.01, respectively.Conclusion:There was an improvement in the inadequate completion of laboratory request forms after clinicians were educated on proper completion using various interactive media, showing that it is an effective strategy. However, further studies are required to identify which educational strategy is most effective in reducing error rates in laboratory test request forms.

AimsPoor vitamin D status is currently a global public-health issue including regions where the risk of vitamin D deficiency was previously assumed to be low due to cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D stimulated by continuous exposure to sunlight. Evidence suggests that exclusively breastfed infants are at risk of low vitamin D status; a risk factor for future poor health. No guidelines currently exist for vitamin D supplementation in Nigeria. The study aimed to determine the plasma vitamin D concentrations of study subjects, provide the much needed information on the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in maternal and breastfeeding infants, as well as the relationship between maternal and infant blood vitamin D levels.MethodsThis cross-sectional study involved 120 breastfeeding infant-mother pairs. Maternal and infant blood samples were taken at the same time. A solid phase competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (DLD Diagnostika GmBH, Germany), was used for the quantitative determination of 25-OH vitamin D in plasma, and read out using Acurex plate (Acurex Diagnostics, USA). Low and normal level controls were assayed in duplicate during each run.ResultsThe mean plasma vitamin D concentrations in the maternal and breastfeeding infant blood were 18.86±6.56 ng/mL and 24.12±9.10 ng/mL respectively. Seven (5.8%) mothers had normal vitamin D levels while 70 (58.3%) mothers had hypovitaminaemia (vitamin D concentration below 20 ng/ml). Also, 28 (23.3%) of the 120 breastfeeding infants had normal vitamin D levels while 43 (35.8%) had hypovitaminaemia. The mean plasma vitamin D concentration in breastfeeding infants was significantly higher than maternal plasma vitamin D concentration (t=5.995, p<0.001). There was a positive correlation between paired maternal and breastfeeding infant blood vitamin D concentrations (r=0.282, p=0.002).ConclusionThe findings from this study indicate that vitamin D deficiency is a major public health issue in this region. Therefore we recommend that efforts be made to implement vitamin D supplementation of exclusively breastfed infants and their mothers in this region.