American Medical Technologist (AMT) Practice Exam

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is the correct fluid that is typically obtained through a lumbar puncture and must be processed "stat," or immediately. This is crucial because CSF is used to diagnose various conditions affecting the central nervous system, such as infections, hemorrhages, and multiple sclerosis. Timely processing is essential to obtain accurate results, as the characteristics of CSF can change quickly once it is outside of the body.

In contrast, while blood plasma can be analyzed for a variety of medical issues, it is not specifically obtained through a lumbar puncture and typically does not require the same immediate processing. Urine, collected through other methods, is also analyzed for different conditions but is not related to lumbar punctures. Lastly, synovial fluid, drawn from joint spaces via arthrocentesis, serves a different clinical purpose and is unrelated to the lumbar puncture procedure. Therefore, cerebrospinal fluid is the key focus in this context.