Which of the following tube additives promotes clot formation?

Choice A reason:
Reporting the exposure to the supervisor is the immediate and required action after experiencing a needlestick injury. The supervisor will then guide the phlebotomist through the institution's post-exposure protocol, which includes immediate care of the wound, evaluation of the exposure, and initiation of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) if necessary. This step is crucial to ensure that the risk of HIV transmission is minimized and that the phlebotomist receives appropriate medical attention and follow-up.

Choice B reason:
Reporting the exposure to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is not the immediate action required. The CDC provides guidelines and recommendations for handling such incidents, but the initial report and response are managed at the healthcare facility level. The CDC may be involved in the tracking of such incidents on a larger scale or providing statistical data, but they are not the first point of contact.

Choice C reason:
Sending the patient for further sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing is not an immediate action required following a needlestick injury. The patient's HIV status is already known, and the focus should be on the treatment and protection of the healthcare worker who experienced the needlestick. Any additional testing of the patient would be unrelated to the immediate management of the injury.

Choice D reason:
Saving the collection device for future evaluation is not a standard procedure. While the device may be retained as part of the incident investigation to determine how the injury occurred and to improve safety measures, the immediate concern is the treatment of the injured healthcare worker. The device itself does not play a role in the post-exposure management of the worker.

Choice A Reason:
Taking the specimen temperature before 4 minutes is the correct procedure according to the Department of Transportation (DOT) guidelines. The DOT Rule 49 CFR Part 40 Section 40.65 states that the temperature of the specimen must be checked no later than four minutes after the employee has given the specimen. The acceptable temperature range is 32–38 °C/90–100 °F, which helps to verify the validity of the specimen.

Choice B Reason:
Taking the specimen temperature at 5 minutes is not within the DOT guidelines. The temperature must be taken before 4 minutes have passed to ensure the specimen's integrity and to comply with the regulatory requirements.

Choice C Reason:
At 15 minutes, the temperature check would be too late. The DOT guidelines specify that the temperature should be checked no later than four minutes after collection to ensure the specimen has not been tampered with and is within the acceptable temperature range.

Choice D Reason:
After 30 minutes, the temperature of the urine specimen would not reflect the body temperature at the time of collection, which is necessary for the validity of the test. This delay could allow for the temperature to fall outside of the acceptable range, potentially invalidating the specimen.