How should a specimen appearing lipemic or icteric be handled?

• A. Capillary collection
• B. Delayed processing
• C. Notify the lab, document the appearance, and recollect if tests may be affected.
• D. Expose to bright light to confirm color.

Answer: (C)

The main concept here is that specimens appearing lipemic or icteric can interfere with many lab tests, so careful handling is essential. Lipemic samples look milky due to high fat content, and icteric samples are yellow to orange because of elevated bilirubin; both appearances can distort assay readings and yield inaccurate results. The best action is to notify the laboratory, document the appearance, and recollect if the tests requested may be affected. This allows the lab to decide on appropriate steps, such as using alternative methods, correcting for interference, or requesting a redraw under proper conditions, while keeping a clear record of what was observed. Recollection is appropriate only if the interference would compromise the accuracy of the ordered tests. Capillary collection, delayed processing, or exposing the sample to bright light do not address the interference issues and are not the recommended responses in this scenario.