Urinalysis and Body Fluids 6th Edition by Majorie DiLorenzo, Susan Strasinger

Exercise 22

Which of the following could be the most significantly affected if a synovial fluid is refrigerated before testing?

A. Glucose

B. Crystal examination

C. Mucin clot test

D. Differential

Step 1 of 2

Synovial fluid:

Synovial or movable joints have a hollow space filled with viscous fluid termed as synovial or joint fluid.

• The cavity containing synovial fluid separates the bones present in synovial joints which are ruled with smooth articular cartilage.

• In synovial fluid, the most frequently performed cell count is White Blood Cell (WBC) and the Red Blood Cell (RBC) counts are not often requested.

• The count process in synovial fluid should be performed as soon to prevent cellular degeneration otherwise the specimen should be refrigerated.

Crystal examination:

The crystal examination of synovial fluid should be performed immediately to avoid change in temperate and pH of collected fluid.

• If the synovial fluid is refrigerated before testing, the temperate of the fluid will be changed; this action affects crystals in the collected fluids. Hence, the crystal examination is affected a lot.

Therefore, if a synovial fluid is refrigerated before testing, then the “crystal examination” could be significantly affected. Hence, the correct answer is option .