Test 1

Question 1

What is serum?

Answer 1

Liquid portion of blood, same as plasma but with no fibrinogen

Taken with tubes containing no anticoagulant

Question 2

What are the granulocytes and what colour do they stain?

Answer 2

Neutrophils- small pink granules (phagocytic to kill bacteria)

Basophils- large blue/black granulocytes (allergies/histamine)

Eosinophils- large orange granules- parasitic infections

Question 3

What are the agranulocytes and what do they do?

Answer 3

Lymphocytes- immune response

Monocytes- phagocytic

Question 4

What is the red tube? What are it’s common uses?

Answer 4

Tube with no additive

Commonly used for chemistry tests, must allow 10 mins for clot to form

Used to acquire serum

Question 5

What is plasma?

Answer 5

Liquid portion of unclotted blood- electrolytes (can’t use sodium tubes), protein

Taken with anticoagulant tubes

Question 6

What are the two types of EDTA tubes? What’s the biggest difference?

Answer 6

EDTA-K3: liquid. Can dilute draw if not full, falsely lowering results. 0.1ml/1ml blood

EDTA-K2: powder. 1.8mg/1ml blood

Both bing calcium

Question 7

What are EDTA tubes? What are they used for?

Answer 7

Good for collecting whole blood- routine hematology tests

Blood can be used for cellular morphology for 4 hrs (if longer, neutrophils swell and RBCs change shape)

Platelets for up to 24 hours

Must mix well for 5 mins

Question 8

What does excess EDTA do?

Answer 8

Causes platelets to swell and burst

Question 9

What are the blue and black tubes? What is the difference?

Answer 9

Sodium citrate

Black: 1:4 ratio, ESR test, cannot be conducted if even small amounts of clotting occur

Blue: 1:9 ratio, coagulation tests, MUST BE FULL DRAW

Both bind calcium

Question 10

What is the specimen requirement correlated with purple tubes?

Answer 10

EDTA whole blood

Question 11

What is the specimen requirement correlated with blue tubes?

Answer 11

Citrated plasma- for aliquoting

Question 12

What is the specimen requirement correlated with black tubes?

Answer 12

Citrated whole blood- for ESR

Mix well

Question 13

What is the specimen requirement correlated with green tubes?

Answer 13

Heparinized plasma (aliquoting for electrolytes)

Heparinized whole blood (for enzymes)

Question 14

What is the specimen requirement correlated with grey tubes?

Answer 14

Plasma- aliquot

Question 15

What are some key features of heparin tubes?

Answer 15

ONLY tube to use antithrombin to prevent clotting

Used to test for electrolytes and RBC tests

Not used for hematology because it stains background

Preserves cells for up to 24hrs

1:5

Question 16

What are the different types of heparin additives?

Answer 16

Ammonium

Lithium

Sodium (can’t be used for electrolyte collection)

Question 17

What are some key features of fluoride tubes?

Answer 17

Grey

Must have 90% draw

Good for delayed glucose tests b/c prevents autolysis

Question 18

What happens if the tourniquet is left on too long?

Answer 18

Hemoconcentration occurs, pressure causes plasma to leave veins, skewing ratio.

Increased hemoglobin and hematocrit

Question 19

What is the most commonly used phlebotomy needle?

Answer 19

21 gauge

Question 20

What are the three components of a needle?

Answer 20

Hub, shaft, and bevel

Question 21

What is the average length of a phlebotomy needle?

Answer 21

1-2”

Question 22

What are the three components of the evacuated tube system?

Answer 22

Stoppered tube

A needle

Baruta inter holder