Question 1
A reference laboratory's directory lists a test as "serum, frozen." The medical assistant has a centrifuged gold tube. What is the best way to prepare it?
- Refrigerate the gold tube and ship it with a cold pack
- Ship the gold tube at room temperature by the fastest courier
- Freeze the whole gold tube with the cells still in it
- Aliquot the serum into a labeled tube and ship it frozen
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Aliquot the serum into a labeled tube and ship it frozen
Specimens must be stored and transported under the conditions the performing laboratory specifies. When frozen serum is required, the serum is separated into a labeled transfer tube and kept frozen until it arrives.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Refrigerate the gold tube and ship it with a cold pack: Refrigeration does not meet a frozen requirement.
- B. Ship the gold tube at room temperature by the fastest courier: Room temperature does not meet a frozen requirement, however fast the courier is.
- C. Freeze the whole gold tube with the cells still in it: The directory calls for serum, which must be removed from the cells before freezing.
Sources
- 42 CFR 493.1242 Standard: Specimen submission, handling, and referral (Oct. 1, 2024 edition) · U.S. Government Publishing Office (govinfo), CMS/HHS regulation