A remark on a lab report describes the sample or the measurement, not your health. Hemolysis, lipemia, clotting, dilution, a repeat test, and a fasting note can each change how much weight a value deserves. Read the lab's own wording, and ask for a repeat when the remark says the sample was unsuitable.
Remarks sit under a result, at the end of a panel, or in a footer. They are easy to skip, and they often explain a value that looks wrong.
The two dates on every report
A report usually carries a collection date and a report date. The collection date, sometimes with a time, is when the blood was drawn. The report date is when the laboratory released the result. For a timeline, the collection date is the one to record.
The collection time matters for tests that change through the day, such as cortisol or iron, and for glucose after a meal. A report released in the evening from a morning sample still describes the morning.
Remarks about the sample
These remarks describe the specimen. They matter because a problem with the sample can change a value before the analyser ever measures it.
| Remark | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Sample hemolysed | Red cells broke during collection or handling and released their contents into the serum. This can falsely raise potassium, LDH, and AST, and interfere with some assays. | Ask whether the affected tests should be repeated on a fresh sample. |
| Sample lipemic | Fat in the sample made it milky. Lipemia can interfere with some optical measurements. | A fasting repeat may be requested. Ask the lab which tests were affected. |
| Sample icteric | Bilirubin in the sample is high enough to interfere with some assays. | Ask the lab which results are affected and whether a repeat is needed. |
| Sample clotted | The blood clotted before analysis, so the result may not be valid. | Repeat on a fresh sample. |
| Insufficient sample | There was not enough blood to run the test. | Repeat the collection. |
| Sample diluted | A value above the analyser range was measured after dilution, and the reported result is corrected for it. | Usually nothing. Ask the lab to confirm if the value is far outside the range. |
| Test repeated | The laboratory ran the test again, or asked for a new sample. The wording may say which. | Check whether the result changed or a new sample is needed. |
| Result corrected | An earlier report was wrong and this report replaces it. | Use the corrected report and discard the earlier value. |
| Fasting not confirmed | The laboratory could not confirm that you had fasted. | Read glucose and triglyceride results with that in mind, and tell your doctor. |
| Collected and reported dates | When the blood was drawn, and when the report was released. | Use the collection date in a timeline. |
Remarks about conditions
A note that fasting was not confirmed, or that a sample was collected after a meal, does not make a result invalid. It tells you the conditions were different, which matters when you compare the value with an earlier fasting result.
A note that a test was repeated can mean the laboratory re-ran the same sample, or that a new sample was requested. The remark wording matters. If it is unclear, ask which happened.
Which remarks change a trend
A value from a hemolysed, clotted, or diluted sample is not a fair point on a chart. Neither is a glucose taken after breakfast if the previous one was fasting. Keep the remark with the value, and compare only results collected under similar conditions.
A corrected report supersedes the earlier one. If both are in your file, use the corrected value and note why it changed.
What to ask the lab or doctor
- Which tests were affected by the remark?
- Should the result be repeated on a fresh sample?
- Was the sample fasting, and does that matter for this test?
- What does the remark mean for this value in particular?
- Can I get the corrected report if one was issued?
How Doctano handles a remark
Doctano keeps each value linked to its original report, so the remark can be read in place, and DoctanoAI can use the report text when you ask about a result. It does not diagnose or decide whether a sample was acceptable. Verify important values against the original report.