NHA Phlebotomy Certification Practice Exam

What is crucial for maintaining specimen integrity during transport?

1. Stabilizing temperature conditions

2. Minimizing the time between draws

3. Using unsealed containers

4. Avoiding refrigeration

The correct answer is: Stabilizing temperature conditions

Maintaining specimen integrity during transport is essential to ensure accurate test results. Stabilizing temperature conditions plays a critical role in this process. Many biological specimens, such as blood or other bodily fluids, can undergo changes if exposed to inappropriate temperatures. For example, some specimens may degrade or adverse reactions may occur when exposed to extreme heat or cold. By controlling the temperature—whether it involves keeping specimens cool in a refrigerated environment or ensuring they don't reach harmful temperatures—the properties of the specimens remain stable, thus providing reliable results once they are tested in the laboratory. Other aspects of specimen handling, such as the duration of transport or the choice of containers, can also contribute to their integrity, but they are secondary to the importance of temperature control. Using unsealed containers, for instance, can lead to contamination or evaporation of the sample, and inadequate refrigeration can compromise specimen quality. Therefore, maintaining appropriate temperature conditions is fundamentally crucial for ensuring the reliability of laboratory results.