CPT (Certified Phlebotomy Technician) Practice Exam

How must an ammonia sample be transported?

1. Room temperature

2. Chilled

3. Frozen

4. On ice or ice slurry

The correct answer is: On ice or ice slurry

The correct answer is that an ammonia sample must be transported on ice or in an ice slurry. This is essential because ammonia levels can increase due to metabolic processes once the sample is collected, leading to inaccurate results if the sample is not maintained at a low temperature. Keeping the sample chilled significantly slows down these metabolic processes and helps preserve the integrity of the sample for accurate analysis in the laboratory. Transporting ammonia samples at room temperature or simply chilled without ice may not adequately prevent changes in ammonia concentration. Freezing the sample can also cause cell lysis, releasing additional ammonia into the sample and skewing the results. Therefore, the use of ice ensures the sample remains at a stable, low temperature and maintains its integrity until testing.