Which specimen should be collected last?
A) Specimen requiring special handling.
B) STAT specimen.
C) Clotted specimen.
D) Fasting specimen.
Answer (2)
In medical and laboratory settings, the order of specimen collection is crucial for ensuring accurate test results and maintaining the integrity of samples. When choosing which specimen to collect last, here is the typical priority sequence to consider:
STAT specimen: These are urgent samples that need immediate attention and processing because the results may directly affect patient care decisions. Therefore, STAT specimens should always be collected and processed first.
Fasting specimen: These samples require the patient to fast for a certain period before collection to ensure accurate test results. They often need to be prioritized after STAT specimens to prevent the patient from having to fast longer than necessary.
Specimen requiring special handling: While these specimens may have specific requirements, such as temperature control or handling within a certain timeframe, they often do not require the same urgency as STAT or fasting specimens. However, they still need to be addressed promptly to prevent compromising the sample integrity.
Clotted specimen: This is often collected last because it doesn't typically require immediate processing. Clotted specimens are used in tests where the serum or plasma is needed, and they can wait without affecting the test outcome significantly.
Thus, the correct answer to the question is "C) Clotted specimen," as it should usually be collected last unless indicated otherwise by specific protocol.
The specimen that should be collected last is C) Clotted specimen . This is because clotted specimens do not require immediate processing and can wait without significantly affecting the test outcome. In specimen collection, priority is given to STAT specimens first, followed by fasting and special handling specimens.
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