American journal of clinical pathology
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Am. J. Clin. Pathol. · Apr 1992
Evaluation of a soft-handling computerized pneumatic tube specimen delivery system. Effects on analytical results and turnaround time.
A computerized pneumatic tube specimen delivery system with system-wide air cushion soft handling features was evaluated. There were no significant differences in values (largely normal) for components of a standard chemical profile or complete blood count in specimens delivered from the outpatient center or neonatal intensive care unit by pneumatic tube compared to couriers. ⋯ The pneumatic tube system decreased the median turnaround time for potassium and hemoglobin results on specimens from the emergency department by 25%. The system evaluated is a rapid, efficient mechanism for sending specimens to the clinical laboratory that produces no significant effects on analytical results and has the ability to decrease turnaround time.