How should blood specimens be transported to the laboratory?

Transporting blood specimens to the laboratory in a secure, temperature-controlled environment is essential to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the samples. Blood specimens can be sensitive to temperature fluctuations; exposure to extreme heat or cold can lead to degradation of cellular components and altering of chemical constituents. Maintaining a stable temperature helps preserve the viability of cells, enzymes, and other analytes vital for accurate test results.

Using a secure, temperature-controlled environment also protects the samples from potential contamination and physical damage during transit. Such precautions are necessary to uphold laboratory standards and provide reliable diagnostic information, which is critical in medical decision-making.

While the other options may seem practical, they either compromise the quality of the samples or do not provide a standard that ensures the integrity needed for laboratory testing.