American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Histotechnician Certification Practice Exam

What is the appropriate course of action for a STAT order?

1. To delay sending to the laboratory until all tests are collected

2. To send the tubes to the laboratory immediately upon collection

3. To collect all specimens before sending

4. To send only those tubes that are not marked as 'STAT'

The correct answer is: To send the tubes to the laboratory immediately upon collection

The appropriate course of action for a STAT order is to send the tubes to the laboratory immediately upon collection. A STAT order indicates that there is an urgent need for the test results, typically because the patient's condition requires immediate attention. The priority for these samples is speed; hence, once they are collected, they should be transported without delay to ensure that the laboratory can process them as quickly as possible. Timely delivery of STAT samples allows for quicker diagnosis and treatment decisions, which can be critical in emergency situations. Immediate processing by the laboratory improves overall patient care by ensuring that healthcare providers receive the necessary information without unnecessary waiting times. In contrast, delaying sample submission or waiting until all specimens are collected, as suggested in other options, would contradict the urgency conveyed by a STAT order and could negatively impact patient outcomes.