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Background: Pre-analytical phase is the major source of errors in a clinical biochemistry laboratory. Aims and Objectives: The study aims to determine the quality of laboratory performance in the pre-analytical phase using quality indicators (QI) specified by the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) Working Group on Laboratory Errors and Patient Safety and sigma metric scale for both the inpatient and outpatient samples received in the clinical biochemistry laboratory. Materials and Methods: All samples and requisition forms received in the laboratory were examined before analysis. The percentages of the seven QI were calculated. The frequency, percentage, and defects per million rates of each pre-analytical error were calculated. Sigma value was obtained using an online sigma calculator. The laboratory performance was then categorized by the IFCC-based performance levels and sigma-based values. Results: Out of 30,546 samples received during a period of 6 months, pre-analytical errors occurred in 2.8% of them. The highest number of pre-analytical errors was due to hemolysis (29.9%). The outpatient samples showed a desirable to optimum performance with a good sigma value. There were more errors and lower quality-based performance, in the case of inpatient samples. Errors were highest in September at the start of the study followed by a gradual decrease over the next 5 months. Conclusion: The laboratory performance in the pre-analytical phase was found to be favorable and consistent with the international specifications.

Background: Ionizing radiation (IR) generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), which leads to oxidative stress that often leads to inflammatory responses in organisms. Objective: Trianthema portulacastrum L., a plant commonly growing in India, is rich in antioxidant phytochemicals. This is responsible for scavenging free radicals and may provide radioprotective and anti-inflammatory effects in response to ionizing radiation. Methods: The effect of T. portulacastrum extracts was studied in hepatic cells, which are susceptible to radiation-induced damage and in macrophages, which are the primary inflammatory cells of the body. Results: T. portulacastrum stem extracts showed efficient free radical scavenging activity in hepatocytes and decreased radiation-induced lipid peroxidation in cell and mitochondrial membranes. Treatment of irradiated cells with T. portulacastrum stem extracts enhanced cell viability at lower concentration and reduced cell viability at higher concentration. Treatment with low concentration of T. portulacastrum stem extract also reduced cellular ROS generation and increased the concentration of cellular anti-oxidant, glutathione. T. portulacastrum extracts also showed remarkable anti-inflammatory properties in macrophages activated by the inflammatory agonist bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The extract reduced nitric oxide (NO) production and suppressed the expression of inflammatory genes. Conclusion: Together, these observations demonstrated a potential radioprotective role of T. portulacastrum extract mediated by both its antioxidant activity on hepatic epithelial cells and its anti-inflammatory activity on immune cells.