Practice Questions Flashcards
A CPT is preparing to draw a peak level for a medication that was administered orally to a patient. After verifying when the patients received the medication, how long should the technician wait prior to attempting the draw?
- 30 min after administration
- 2 hr after administration
- 15 min after administration
- 4 hr after administration
2 hr after administration
- Peak levels should be collected 1-2 hr following an oral administration to ensure that the medication is not at a toxic level.
A CPT is preparing to obtain a blood specimen from a patient for thyroid studies. The technician should select a collection tube that has a top with which of the following colors?
- Speckled
- Gray
- Green
- Light Blue
Speckled
- Speckled is used for thyroid studies (T3, T4, and thyroid-stimulating hormone)
A CPT is using a point-of-care test system to determine a patient’s WBC count. For which of the following results should the technician immediately notify the provider?
-1.8/mm^3
-4.6/mm^3
-7.4/mm^3
-10.8/mm^3
1.8/mm^3
- Normal range is 4.4 to 11/mm^3 for WBC
A CPT is preparing a peripheral blood smear from a patient’s capillary blood. Which of the following actions should the tech take?
- Select the patient’s index finger for the capillary blood draw.
- Use the second drop of blood
Position the puncture device so it cuts along the lines of the fingerprint - Touch the slide to the blood at least 3.8cm (1.5 in) from the end of the slide
Use the second drop of blood
- Should only use 3rd or 4th finger
- The puncture should be perpendicular to the patient’s fingerprint grooves to ensure a sizable blood sample
- The tech should touch the slide to the blood at 1.3 to 2.5cm (0.5 to 1 in) from the end of the slide
Which of the following is the best method for a phlebotomy technician to collect a blood specimen from an older adult patient who has fragile, easy-to-collapse veins?
- Choose a butterfly assembly using a regular ETS tube
- Choose a butterfly assembly and use a pediatric tube
- Choose a syringe and butterfly assembly and transfer to an ETS tube
- Choose a pediatric tube assembly and a regular ETS tube.
Choose a syringe and butterfly assembly and transfer to an ETS tube
- The syringe minimizes presence on fragile veins and helps prevent clotting.
- A regular ETS will be too much vaccum
- A pediatric tube may not provide the amount of blood needed for the test
A CPT is following the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute’s (CLSI) Clinical laboratory workflow pathway. As part of the post-examination phase of this process, which of the following actions should the technician take?
- Process the specimen
- Review and verify results
- Provide post-puncture care
- Enter critical laboratory data
Enter critical laboratory data
Which of the following tubes should a CPT collect first when obtaining dermal samples?
- Lavender top
- Green top
- Red top
- Light Blue top
Lavender top
-minimizes platelet clumping and micro-clot formation
A CPT is reviewing a laboratory requisition before obtaining blood specimens from a patient. The technician should verify that thee requisition includes which of the following information?
- The patient’s next of kin
- Emergency contact info
- The patient’s previous meds
- A specimen identification code
A specimen identification code
- Included with patient identification information, such as the patient’s full name and date of birth
For which of the following reasons should a phlebotomy technician centrifuge a serum specimen before a transport to an outside reference laboratory?
- Cells must be separated from the serum
- Cells will hemolyze
- Platelets must be separated from the serum
- White blood cells will be elevated
Cells must be separated from the serum
A CPT should identify that which of the following colors signifies a health hazard in the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 704 Marking System?
- Red
- White
- Yellow
- Blue
Blue
- Red is a fire hazard
- White is a specific hazard not covered by any other color
- Yellow is instability
- Blue is a health hazard
A CPT is performing a total cholesterol point-of-care test for a patient. Which of the following findings should the technician immediately report to the provider?
- 300 mg/dL
- 200 mg/dL
- 180 mg/dL
- 140 mg/dL
300 mg/dL
- Normal range is
140 to 200 mg/dL
A CPT is collecting a blood specimen from a patient to measure the trough level of a medication. The technician should collect the specimen at which of the following times?
- Within 15 min before the patient receives the next dose of meds
- Less than 15 min after the patient receives a dose of the meds
- At least 2 hr after the patient receives a dose of the meds
- Approx. halfway between two doses of the meds
Within 15 min before the patient receives the net dose of meds
Which of the following PPE provides a CPT with the best protection when drawing blood from a patient who has active tuberculosis?
- Double gloves
- N95 Respirator
- Surgical masks
N95 Respirator
When collecting a routine blood sample, which of the following veins should a CPT attempt to draw from first?
- Radial
- Ulnar
- Distal Cephalic
- Median Cubital
Median Cubital
- Radial and Ulnar are small, deep, and run close to nerves
- Distal Cephalic is the second- best to draw from
A CPT should identify that which of the following is an identifier for a specimen as long as it remains in the lab?
- ICD-10 Codes
- Accession number
- CPT code
- Medical record number
Accession Number
- ICD- 10 codes classify diagnoses and diseases
- The CPT(Current Procedural Terminology) code identifies a service provided to the patient
A CPT is preparing to obtain a blood specimen from a patient for an erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR) test. The tech should select a collection tube that has a top with which of the following colors?
- Red
- Light Green
- Lavender
- Royal Blue
Lavender
A CPT receives a chemical splash to his forearm. After removing his contaminated clothing, which of the following is the minimum amount of time the tech should rinse the affected area?
- 3 min
- 5 min
- 10 min
- 15 min
15 min
According to standard precautions, a CPT should take which of the following actions when shipping specimens to a reference laboratory in hot weather?
- Place the specimens in a box with bubble wrap and a biohazard level
- Place the specimens in a box with cold packs and a biohazard label
- Place the specimens in a padded envelope with bubble wrap and a biohazard label
- Place the specimens in a padded envelope with cold packs and a biohazard label
Place the specimens in a box with cold packs and a biohazard label
A CPT is collecting blood from a patient for donation. The collection only fills halfway, and the vein collapses. Which of the following actions should the tech take?
- Mark the collection as half full
- Use a new collection bag to draw a new until of blood
- Continue filling the collection bag from an alternative site
- Combine two separate collection bags to make a whole
Use a new collection bag to draw a new unit of blood
Which of the following actions should a CPT take after collection an ammonia specimen?
- Protect the specimen tube from light
- Keep the specimen tube warm
- Keep the specimen at body temperature
- Place the specimen tube in an ice-water slurry
Place the specimen tube in an ice-water slurry
- Chilling the specimen slows down the metabolic processes and protects the analytes
- Keep semen specimen at body temp
- Keep cold agglutinin specimen warm
- Keep bilirubin specimen protected from light.
When should a CPT perform external liquid controls for quality control on a CLIA-waived glucose point-of-care test?
- With every patient
- Every week the test is performed
- When a new lot number or kit is opened
- When a different technician performs the test
When a new lot number or kit is opened
A CPT should select a tube that has which of the following anticoagulants to collect a sample for a PT/PTT test?
- EDTA
- Sodium Citrate
- Potassium Oxalate
- Heparin
Sodium Citrate
A CPT has a requisition for a series of tests on a patient’s serum. The technician should select a collection tube that contains which of the following additives?
- Sodium flouride
- Thrombin
- Sodium citrate
- Heparin
Thrombin
- accelerates clotting for serum specimens
A CPT is preparing to draw blood from a patient’s arm and observes a sore at the site where the tourniquet is to be placed. Which of the following actions should the technician take?
- Keep the tourniquet on the patient’s arm for 2 min
- Use a slip tourniquet
- Tie the tourniquet over the patient’s sleeve
- Position the tourniquet Distal to the antecubital area
Tie the tourniquet over the patient’s sleeve
- Prevents further damage to the skin
A CPT is preparing to collect a patient’s troponin T level. Which of the following troponin T levels should the tech immediately report to the provider?
- 0.3 ng/mL
- 0.2 ng/mL
- 0.03 ng/mL
- 0.02 ng/mL
0.3 ng/mL
- The normal range is
0 to 0.2 ng/mL
A CPT is preparing to perform a venipuncture for a 2-year old child. The child asks if the blood draw will hurt. Which of the following statements should the technician make?
- “This will not hurt at all”
- “This will go quickly”
- “You will feel a small prick”
- “You have no reason to worry”
“You will feel a small prick”
Which of the following should a phlebotomy technician take to locate a vein using the warming technique?
- Heat a clean towel to 45 °C (113 °F)
- Wrap the warm towel around the site for 1 to 2 min
- Encase the warm towel in a plastic bag
- Ask the patient to rinse her hands in warm water for 2 min
Encase the warm towel in a plastic bag
- The plastic bag helps maintain the towel’s temperature and keeps the patient’s skin dry
- The tech should heat the clean towel to 42 °C (107.6°F)
- The tech should wrap the towel around the site for 3 to 5 min
- The tech should ask the patient to rinse her hands in warm water for 1 min to enhance visibility
A CPT is collecting a blood specimen from a patient who has cutaneous diphtheria. Besides gloves, which of the following pieces of PPE should the technician wear?
- Mask
- Gown
- Goggles
- N95 Respirator
Gown
Prior to transport, which of the following specimens should a CPT place in an ice bath within 30 minutes after collection?
- Arterial blood gas
- Cold agglutinin
- Cyroglobulin
- Blood culture
Arterial blood gas
- Stops the metabolic activity of the red blood cells from delivery to the laboratory
- Blood cultures stay at room temp
- Cold agglutinin and cyroglobulin stay at Approx 37°C (98.6°F)
A phlebotomy technician has a requisition form to perform chromosome analysis for a patient. The technician should select a collection tube that contains which of the following additives?
- Sodium polyanethol sulfonate
- Thrombin
- Sodium citrate
- Heparin
Heparin
A CPT is preparing to perform a fingerstick for a patient. Which of the following actions should technicians take first?
- Cleanse the site with an antiseptic wipe
- Select the appropriate part of the third or fourth finger
- Position the blade of the lancet across the lines for the fingertip?
- Confirm the identity of the patient
Confirm the identity of the patient
- The technician should identify the patient prior to performing any other steps of the procedure.
A phlebotomy technician is preparing to collect a blood specimen from the antecubital site of a patient. Which of the following devices can be used to stabilize the arm for the collection?
- Supply clamp
- Hand immobilizer
- Phlebotomy wedge
- Hand brace
Phlebotomy wedge
- A vinyl- covered device that stabilizes the patient’s arm
A CPT is reviewing a laboratory test requisition form before obtaining blood specimens from a patient. Which of the following actions should the technician take prior to performing the venipuncture?
- Ensure the requisition form includes an accession number
- Review the patient’s medication record
- Check the providers availability
- Check the requisition form for duplicate test orders
Check the requisition form for duplicate test orders
A provider has ordered a urine culture and sensitivity test. Which of the following types of urine collections should a CPT obtain?
- Random
- Timed urine collection
- First morning
- Clean-catch midstream
Clean-catch midstream
- Reduces bacteria for testing
- Random is usually for routine urine analysis testing
- Timed urine collection is usually for hormone studies
- First morning is preferred for pregnancy studies
For which of the following procedures should a CPT follow chain of custody guidelines?
- Digoxin level testing
- Blood culture testing
- Paternity testing
- Lead level testing
Paternity testing
A CPT is preparing several specimens for transport to the facility’s laboratory. Which of the following specimens should the tech protect from light by placing it in an amber/brown biohazard bag for transport?
- Lactic acid
- Vitamin B6
- Blood gas
- Ammonia
Vitamin B6
- The others should be chilled during transport
A CPT is collecting a blood sample from a newborn who weighs 3kg (6.6 lb). Which of the following amounts is the maximum volume of blood the tech can draw from this newborn at one time if the maximum allowable volume is 1%?
- 1.5mL
- 3mL
- 4mL
- 6mL
3 mL
- Multiply the kilograms by 100 then multiple by .01(1 percent) to get the maximum allowable amount
