So last week, we received a pleural body fluid with a cell count ordered. In our lab the processor usually sets these up including filtering the sample before it is ran on the DxH. After running it once, I got a cellular interference error. I figured it probably just needed another round of filtering but… Continue reading Grossing Out
Category: LOL Moments
Smell of E Coli
So, I used to be a phlebotomist, and when I was I would take any specimen I could to Micro just to smell the specimens in the room. Walking in, for a normal human being, most would wear a mask and drop off the specimens, where I feel like I just got some fresh air!… Continue reading Smell of E Coli
Attempting to Save a Life
My manager had an aquarium in the laboratory and he had unusual creatures that resided in it. One night I was working as the only lab staff. It was fairly busy. Suddenly I noticed movement at the top of the aquarium. Startled the heck out of me, but then I realized it was the frog… Continue reading Attempting to Save a Life
Shot in Head in a Bar
I was a supervisor on a 3-11 shift in a County/Teaching hospital and I went to check on the ER Lab. I ran into an intern who used to be one of my lab techs before he went to medical school. We caught up and I asked him if he had anything interesting going on… Continue reading Shot in Head in a Bar
New Parasite
I was working with a young uppity know-it-all supervisor in urine microscopy and thought about pulling a prank on her. At the back of my apartment is a tiny pond. I filled a small water bottle with some of the dirty pond water and brought it to work. I just have to wait for the… Continue reading New Parasite
That Doesn’t Sound Like My Wife
Our blood bank had a day where we had to waste five units of RBCs that had been issued to Cath Lab in coolers for being returned out of temp. The next morning, the runner came in and was telling me that he and my female coworker had a "heated argument". She slammed the door… Continue reading That Doesn’t Sound Like My Wife
Special Stool Sample
A patient brought a stool specimen to the lab on a cut crystal butter dish with a cover. It was sitting on the dish (formed specimen) covered and the cover was taped to the butter plate. She waited while we transferred the stool sample to a specimen jar. And took it dish back home. Note… Continue reading Special Stool Sample
Wake Up Call
First, a little backstory. I live in a small town of 2000 people with a small 25-bed hospital. I live across the street from the hospital, literally 50 steps away. After 1730 on weekdays and on weekends, the lab is not staffed but each of us take turns being on-call. This story happened the weekend… Continue reading Wake Up Call
Blue Blood
I went to the nursing home right next to the hospital I work in to do my weekly lab draws. They usually have around 15 patients on the list and each one has to be drawn in their rooms. A nurse usually comes with to help with patient identification because some of them have really… Continue reading Blue Blood
Embarrassing Question
We had a patient walk in with an order for post vasectomy semen analysis. He had to collect the sample in our lab restroom. When the patient came out of the restroom, just out of nowhere I heard one of our newer techs asking the patient, “How was it? Did you have fun?” Needless to… Continue reading Embarrassing Question