CSC CSC Specimen Handling & Transportation 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: How long can a urine specimen remain at room temperature before it must be refrigerated or tested?
- 1 hour
- 4 hours (Correct answer)
- 8 hours
- 24 hours
Correct answer: 4 hours
Urine specimens must be refrigerated or tested within 4 hours to prevent degradation of analytes.
Question 2: What temperature range is required for refrigerated storage of urine specimens awaiting analysis?
- 0–2°C
- 2–8°C (Correct answer)
- 10–15°C
- 15–25°C
Correct answer: 2–8°C
Refrigerated storage at 2–8°C maintains specimen integrity without freezing and lysing cells.
Question 3: Which packaging requirement is mandatory for shipping urine specimens under DOT guidelines?
- Standard zip-lock bag
- Tamper-evident sealed container (Correct answer)
- Open specimen cup with lid
- Insulated foam cooler only
Correct answer: Tamper-evident sealed container
DOT requires tamper-evident containers to protect chain of custody and specimen integrity during transport.
Question 4: What action must a collector take if a specimen seal is found broken upon arrival at the laboratory?
- Accept and test the specimen
- Note the break and continue testing
- Reject and document the specimen as compromised (Correct answer)
- Re-seal with new tape
Correct answer: Reject and document the specimen as compromised
A broken seal compromises chain of custody, so the specimen must be rejected and the event documented.
Question 5: To prevent hemolysis during blood specimen transport, the collector should:
- Shake the tube to mix anticoagulant
- Keep the tube upright and avoid agitation (Correct answer)
- Freeze the specimen immediately
- Store at 37°C body temperature
Correct answer: Keep the tube upright and avoid agitation
Keeping tubes upright and minimizing agitation prevents red blood cell rupture (hemolysis), which can alter test results.
Question 6: At minimum, what information must be included on a specimen label at the time of collection?
- Collector's personal phone number
- Donor's social security number
- Specimen ID, collection date, time, and donor identifier (Correct answer)
- Laboratory director's name
Correct answer: Specimen ID, collection date, time, and donor identifier
Proper labeling with specimen ID, date, time, and donor ID is essential to maintain traceability and chain of custody.
CSC CSC Specimen Handling & Transportation 1
How long can a urine specimen remain at room temperature before it must be refrigerated or tested?