A phlebotomist on the evening shift draws a specimen for cold agglutinins and places it in the refrigerator for the morning shift. Test results of this specimen will:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Cold agglutinins are antibodies that can clump red blood cells at cold temperatures. Storing the specimen in the refrigerator could cause the agglutinins to agglutinate more than they would at body temperature, leading to a falsely decreased result.

A Phlebotomist on the Evening Shift Draws a Specimen for Cold