Laboratory Operations

Question 1

Which one of the following methods is the best way to confirm your patient’s identity

a) Look at the sign on the patient’s door or above the patient’s bed
b) Ask the patient to state his/her name, and check the patient’s armband, comparing the full name and medical record number to that shown on your preprinted collection list
c) Ask the patient to confirm his/her name as in the follow example: “Is your name Ms. Smith?”
d) First collect the blood specimen, then establish patient identity, then label with the correct preprinted computer generated label

Answer 1

B - Ask the patient to state his/her name, and check the patient’s armband, comparing the full name and medical record number to that shown on your preprinted collection list

When ensuring proper patient identification before a phlebotomy draw, one should politely ask the patient to state his/her name, and check the patient’s armband, comparing the full name and medical record number to that shown on your preprinted collection list

Question 2

What is the minimum time of retention for microbiology test reports

a) 5 years
b) 1 year
c) 2 years
d) 7 years

Answer 2

C - 2 years

Test reports include all preliminary reports. Typically, test reports are placed in the patient’s hospital record and retained permanently; however, any identical legally reproduce copy will be retained by the lab

Question 3

The tech is working in microbiology and typically, there is an automatic call list generated by the LIS for urgent microbiology alerts. The LIS is currently down for maintenance so the tech has to manually pull a list of urgent reports. Which of the following should the tech consider as an urgent result

a) Urine culture with >100,000 CFU/mL of E. coli
b) Positive blood culture showing Gram positive cocci
c) Wound culture report of S. epidermidis
d) Sputum culture report of S. pneumoniae

Answer 3

B - Positive blood culture showing Gram positive cocci

Positive blood cultures are always considered urgent alerts that must be called to the floor or physician
Sepsis can have a mortality rate of 40% or higher in hospitalized patients so quick and accurate treatment is needed in patient care. Thus, urgent reporting of any blood culture that becomes positive is needed in the lab
Overall other guidelines for what is urgent or important and how that information is disseminated to the physician is decided by the healthcare system

Question 4

A swab is submitted for an influenza screen. The swab used is a cotton swab with a wooden shaft that was placed in a moist transport container. What is the most appropriate next step in this scenario?

a) Call the RN or physician to confirm that the site of collection was the nasopharyngeal area
b) Call the RN or physician to let them know that the specimen is unacceptable, and it should be recollected
c) Proceed with processing the specimen in the LIS and begin testing
d) Do not proceed, the specimen is unacceptable, and you should throw the swab in the trash

Answer 4

B) Call the RN or physician to let them know that the specimen is unacceptable, and it should be recollected

The specimen submitted is inappropriate for viral testing. Wood shafted swabs should not be used to collect samples for viral testing. The moist transport container is not appropriate for viral testing; only viral transport media should be used as a source of transport