Final exam review questions Flashcards
Which complication results from repeated venipuncture on the same vein over a long period of time?
Phlebitis
A faxed report from the lab tech to the patient abides by which regulatory agency?
TJC (The Joint Commission)
After cleaning the venipuncture site, the phlebotomist should do what next?
Allow the alcohol to air dry
A patient is checking into the outpatient lab for a post-prandial glucose test. What is the correct fasting preference for this patient?
2 hours after a meal
When you centrifuge blood in a gray top tube, what will the resulting fluid portion be?
Plasma
What lancet position is best for capillary blood collection on an adult?
Parallel to the nail bed
How much blood is in the average adult human body?
5-7 liters
What step should the phlebotomist take if blood was drawn from a wrong patient?
Immediately report the incident to supervisor for corrective action
When blood is found in the urine of a patient, that patient is said to have?
Hematuria
A patient is rushed to the ER due to dehydration due to severe vomiting for the last three days. The ER physician orders STAT electrolytes and asks you to draw it. Which of the following tubes would you choose to collect the specimen?
Light/mint green top tube
When the body has had adequate rest and no food source for at least 12 hours, it is said to be in:
Basal state
What type of blood would be best for determination of blood acidity and blood gases?
Arterial blood
What is the most common complication from venipuncture procedure?
Hematoma
Blood collected into a red top “plain” tube will clot naturally, how long does this process take?
30-60 minutes
You find duplicate orders on a patient requisition form, what action is needed to proceed with the blood draw?
Contact the ordering physician to get a clarification
What additive if any is added to a light-blue top tube?
Sodium citrate
What term describes the destruction of red blood cells?
Hemolysis
A patient comes into the clinic for a low-grade fever which he has had for a month. As part of the work up, the physician orders an erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). The phlebotomist would draw that test in what colored tube?
Lavender top
When the tourniquet is tied too tight, the capillaries in that area rupture causing:
Petechiae
The boundaries for the approved area in performing a heel puncture are:
The medial line extending from the middle of the great toe to the heel and laterally from the middle of the fourth and fifth toes to the heel
How far above the puncture site should the tourniquet be placed?
3-4 inches
Failure to exercise due care (the level of care a person of ordinary intelligence and good sense would exercise under the given circumstances) is defined as what?
Negligence
Phenylketonuria is a genetic disease that causes mental retardation and brain damage; where and what is the location that this test will be performed?
Blood drawn from a newborn heel
What is another term for red blood cells?
Erythrocytes
What is another term for thrombocytes?
Platelets
You enter a patient’s room to draw a specimen, the patient cannot verify their name and date of birth. What is the proper way to identify the patient?
Ask the patient’s nurse to identify the patient
Which is smaller, an 18 gauge or a 23 gauge needle?
23 gauge is smaller
What is the tube color used for glucose testing on blood?
Gray top
What are the types of white blood cells?
granulocytes (neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils), monocytes, and lymphocytes (T cells and B cells)
You find a patient not breathing and unresponsive, CPR must be administered. What position is required to perform CPR?
Supine
What is the medical term for fainting?
vasovagal syncope
What will happen if a phlebotomist uses a 3.0 mm lancet to puncture a toddler?
Penetration of the bone which causes osteomyelitis (inflammation/swelling of the bone)
How does a phlebotomist identify every patient in all medical settings?
Asking the patient for their full name and DOB
Which vein in the arm is most used in venipuncture procedures?
Median cubital
What are the correct steps to end a venipuncture procedure?
Remove the tourniquet, remove the tube, lightly apply cotton/gauze, remove the needle, apply pressure with gauze/cotton
What must be on the specimen sample label?
Patients name, patients DOB, time of collection, phlebotomist’s initials
What can occur when a tourniquet is left on a patients arm for too long?
Hemoconcentration
The recommended depth of an infant heel puncture according to the American Society of Pediatrics should not exceed:
2.0 mm
What must be documented on a DUI criminal case urine sample?
Temperature of the urine
A patient experiencing hypoglycemia is having what?
Low blood glucose levels
How many tubes are drawn in a 4 hour OGTT test?
5 tubes
Before a blood donation is made, the phlebotomist must always check the blood donor’s:
Hemocrit and hemoglobin values
If a patient has a syncope episode during a blood draw, what should the phlebotomist do first?
Remove the tourniquet, then remove the tube, and needle
Blood cultures are taken to determine:
Septicemia, bacteremia
Excessive milking/massaging of the finger during a skin puncture procedure might cause:
Hemolysis and contamination of the specimen with tissue fluids
A phlebotomist made a mistake on a patient’s requisition form. How should the phlebotomist proceed to ensure proper handling of the written mistake?
Strike a line through the mistake and initial
Which of the following is required on a chain of custody form after collecting a patient’s urine specimen?
Patient’s signature
A phlebotomist is walking into a patient’s room with contact isolation precautions. What PPE should be used besides gloves?
Gown
The most frequently occurring nosocomial infection for lab employees is:
Hepatitis B virus
What should you do if you accidentally stick yourself with a needle that has been in a patient’s arm?
Express blood to the fingertip, wash your wound with antibacterial soap and running water for 15 minutes and report the injury to your supervisor
Every time you come onto your shift, the sharps container on the phlebotomy tray is overflowing. What is the correct response?
Carefully remove the overflowing sharps container from the tray and report the safety violation to the supervisor
What is plasma?
The fluid portion of un-clotted blood
A phlebotomist should notify a physician if they puncture what?
An artery
Post-prandial means:
After a meal
