‘Lab error’ demeaning

My heart goes out to the parents of the baby born with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (“Newborn fights to beat leukemia,” Jan. 29). I pray for the baby’s healing. I volunteer at the Inland NorthWest Blood Center. We will be having a blood drive too at the Coeur d’Alene location.

I did feel like the part of the article mentioning possible lab error was rather demeaning to medical technologists. I retired from this field after 41 years. If a tech got a platelet count that low, it would have been repeated. They have check systems in place.

The blood sample would have been checked for clots and a blood smear examined under the microscope. Most labs, especially in hospitals, have procedures when critical values are found.

It should have been stated the test was repeated with a new sample and the result was correct. Most of those working in labs feel like we don’t get recognized for what we do. We are in the background helping the doctor diagnose medical conditions and diseases.

We feel degraded when we hear the lab must have messed up, or they made a mistake. Yes it does happen occasionally, but what about a nurse or a doctor making a mistake? Give credit to all those med. techs (now called clinical lab scientists) who work hard, receive less pay and lack recognition for all they do.

Florence Stovall

Hayden