One clinical laboratory scientist is covering the "manual bench" in the hematology laboratory, which is where body fluid examinations are done

Just as she is preparing to go on break, she receives simultaneously two specimens, one a CSF and one a BAL fluid. Both are marked "stat." What should she do first?

a. Analyze the BAL.
b. Analyze the CSF.
c. Go on break and then return and do the BAL.
d. Go on break and then return and do the CSF.

ANS: B
A CSF fluid is always "stat," and evaluation is critical for good patient care. The cells will rapidly disintegrate, just as for all body fluid specimens, and so they must be examined within 30 minutes of draw. Diagnostic information obtained from examination of CSF fluid can be extremely important for timely and appropriate patient care; therefore in this scenario the CSF must be examined first and immediately. The clinical relevance of information obtained from hematologic examination of BAL fluid is minimal, and some hematology laboratories no longer perform counts and/or cytocentrifuge preparations on these specimens because the biohazard risk outweighs the clinical usefulness.