Which of the following clinical specimens should be transported to the laboratory on ice to preserve the integrity of the sample?

• A. Throat swab for Streptococcus pyogenes
• B. Urine for routine bacterial culture
• C. Blood for malaria diagnosis
• D. Cerebrospinal fluid for viral studies

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the importance of specimen transport conditions: Certain clinical specimens require specific temperature conditions during transport to preserve the viability of pathogens or the integrity of diagnostic markers.
2. Review the nature of each specimen and its diagnostic target: For example, throat swabs for Streptococcus pyogenes and urine for routine bacterial culture typically do not require cold transport because the bacteria are relatively stable at room temperature for short periods.
3. Consider blood for malaria diagnosis: Malaria parasites inside red blood cells are generally stable at room temperature during transport, so ice is not usually necessary.
4. Focus on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for viral studies: Viruses in CSF can be labile and degrade quickly at room temperature, so cooling the specimen on ice helps preserve viral particles and nucleic acids for accurate testing.
5. Conclude that specimens requiring preservation of labile components, such as viral particles in CSF, should be transported on ice to maintain sample integrity until laboratory processing.