Clotted blood samples in the neonatal intensive care unit: A retrospective, observational study to evaluate interventions to reduce blood sample clotting.

Background: Blood draws for laboratory investigations are essential for patient management in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). When blood samples clot before analysis, they are rejected, which delays treatment decisions and necessitates repeated sampling.

Aim: To decrease the incidence of rejected blood samples taken for laboratory investigation as a result of clotted sample.