True or False: If a CSF specimen cannot be processed immediately, it should be refrigerated.

The correct response to whether a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimen should be refrigerated if it cannot be processed immediately is that it should indeed not be refrigerated. CSF specimens are highly sensitive to changes in temperature, and refrigeration can potentially compromise the integrity of the sample and affect the results of various tests.

Instead, CSF specimens should be kept at room temperature if processing cannot occur right away. This is crucial to maintain the viability of any cellular components and biochemical substances present in the sample. Immediate processing or proper storage conditions are vital for accurate diagnostic testing, as there are specific time-sensitive factors involved in different analyses of CSF. Therefore, maintaining the sample at room temperature helps to prevent cellular degradation and preserves the quality of the specimen for testing.