Biochemia Medica introduces new section: Pre-analytical mysteries

In about 200 words summarize the following information if relevant: (1) Rationale for this case report, (2) Presentation of patient and respective laboratory analyses, (3) Outcomes, and (4) Main lesson(s) to learn from this case report. Introduction Briefly summarize the background and context of this case report. (What was the rationale for presenting this case report? What is the added value of their case report? Why is this report important and why it should be published?) De-identified demographic and other relevant patient specific information (age, gender, origin, etc.). Medical history and relevant diagnoses including relevant physical examination findings Indication for laboratory analyses Laboratory analyses Which sample(s) was collected? (Please provide relevant information from this case report organized as a timeline (table or figure). For templates, see http://www.care-statement.org/downloads). What values (relevant for this case report) were determined? Other relevant diagnostic evaluations (imaging, surveys, ...) Considered diagnoses / Interventions / Further investigation (whatever applicable) Types and dosage of intervention (such as pharmacologic, surgical, preventive, self-care) Further inquiry (re-collection of sample, phone calls, intra-laboratory adjustments, ....) If re-collection/-measurement: Values from repeat measurement (Please provide these values also in the table above.) Please prove relevant information about timing and sequence of events. What happened? / Solution Solve the preanalytical mystery. Discussion Discuss the circumstances leading to the described preanalytical case and the rationale for your conclusions such as potential causation. Compare it to current evidence/literature and discuss possibilities/necessities on how to avoid similar cases in future. Finally, what are the main findings of this case report and what are the ‘take-away’ messages? What lessons can be learned from this case report? Whenever appropriate the patient should share their experience of their care in a narrative published within this case report or accompanying this case report. What YOU should / can do in your laboratory to prevent such errors . Provide a bullet point list of what the reader can do to prevent errors like the one that you describe in their own laboratories. Informed consent and (If applicable) ethical approval. Acknowledgements Declare competing interests Declare funding tient position before venous blood collection to minimize the risk of spurious results of in vitro diagnostic testing (2). Our second case, presented by Michael Cornes highlights a very common pre-analytical problem of sample contamination with EDTA and encourages laboratories to have algorithms in place to systematically identify and deal with contaminated samples (3). The last case in