In automated reporting, what does the hemolysis index indicate and what actions does it trigger?

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Hemolysis index measures how much hemolyzed material is present in a sample by detecting the signal from free hemoglobin. In automated reporting, this index serves as an interference flag rather than a correction factor. When the index crosses predefined thresholds, the analyzer flags the result and labs decide how to handle it. Depending on policy, a report may be issued with a caution note, or the result may be rejected and the patient asked to provide a recollection. This approach helps prevent reporting unreliable results that could be falsely affected by hemolysis, since some analytes (like potassium or LDH) are particularly susceptible to interference. It’s not used to automatically adjust for the color of plasma; rather, it alerts the system and the clinician to potential unreliability and the need for a repeat sample if necessary.