Medical laboratory term?!
Question: Medical laboratory term.?
What does the term "entry date/time" mean in a medical laboratory report. I know that the "sampling date/time" refers to the time that the blood sample was taken. Does the term mean the date that the sereology test started.? Or the time it was queued in the machine.? I recently had a blood test and the sample entry date/time on my report was about 1:00 pm. The result wasnt ready until 9:00 pm !! The test takes only about 2 hours..can anybody please explain.?.? Did the lab mess up !.?!Health Question & Answer
Answers:
I'm just guessing, but entry date could have been when they first started the record (ENTERed the information). That probably wouldn't be the time they started the test. Labs are busy, and they often have some backlog.Health Question & Answer
How long the test takes really doesn't help much in this case, because it depends on how many tests were in the line-up before you. If they have 100 people to test, then it's going to take time to prepare the specimen, run it through the various tests, document the results and enter them into the database so that the doctor can see them. That can take quite awhile. It's why most labs say a minimum of 24-hours between draw and results.Health Question & Answer