Which of the following describes specimen characteristics checked in testing?

• A. Color, Temp, Odor, pH, Specific Gravity, Creatinine
• B. Size and weight of the sample
• C. Time of collection and date
• D. Temperature and humidity during storage

Answer: (A)

Ensuring specimen integrity relies on evaluating its basic physical and chemical traits at the time of testing. These characteristics help confirm the sample is a genuine urine specimen and not tampered with. Color can signal contamination or adulterants; temperature should be near body temperature shortly after collection, indicating the sample isn’t substituted; odor can hint at adulteration or contamination; pH shows the chemical environment and can reveal chemical interference; specific gravity indicates how concentrated the urine is, helping detect dilution; creatinine serves as a marker to verify the sample is urine and to assess dilution or substitution. Together, these checks protect the validity of the test results by flagging samples that may not reflect the donor’s true specimen.

Other options describe attributes like size or weight, the timing of collection, or storage conditions, which are not the immediate specimen characteristics used to assess integrity during testing.