Mid Term Vet Asst Lab and Clin Proc

What is hazardous waste? Where is it disposed of

Chemical or pharmaceutical waste; disposed of in specified (usually yellow) container and collected by Hazardous Waste Disposal

Agranulocytes

Monocyte, lymphocyte

What is sharps? Where are sharps disposed of?

Needles, scalpel blades, microscope slides: disposed of in sharps container and picked up by registered hauler

What is considered animal waste? Where is animal waste disposed of?

Carcasses, body parts, tissues, anything that comes in contact with bodily fluids; disposed of in the trash

What are the 3 major types of errors in a laboratory?

Clerical errors, random/accidental, systematic

What is a centrifuge and what are the rules for use?

Used to spin microhematocrit tubes

What is a microscope and what is it used for?

Used for visual examination of a slide with a sample of blood, cells, urine, cytology, fecals, or parasites

Carry with two hands

Avoid touching the stage and lenses

use only kimwipes and lens cleaner to clean lenses

wipe lens in circular motion

wipe excess oil off before storing

do not spin from oil immersion to other lenses without cleaning first

clean non-oculars with alcohol and tissue

store with the lowest object lens in place and stage down

cover microscope before storing

What are the microscope rules of use?

Ocular (lens) eyepiece

Course adjustment

fine adjustment

arm

body tube

nosepiece

high power objective lens

low power (scanner) lens

middle power objective lens

stage

clip

diaphragm

light source

base

What are the parts of the microscope?

How do objects appear under a microscope?

upside-down and backward

What are the different objective lenses on a microscope?

4x, 10x, 40x, 100x

What does PPE stand for and what are examples of PPE?

Personal Protective Equipment; gloves, masks, gown/appron, safety glasses

Rotate supplies so that older products are used before newer, notify practice manager when items are running low/close to expiration, store products, tests, samples in proper conditions

What are the responsibilities of a veterinary assistant in the lab?

Infection

Invasion by pathogenic organisms

Disease

Abnormal condition or illness

Inflammation

Tissue swelling, normally accompanied by pain

Infestation

Invasion of parasites

Cytology

The study and evaluation of cells

Histopathology

The study of tissues and the disease that are affected

Blood and fluid tubes

Lavender, Red, white (urine), green, Tiger/marble and Gold

Which tubes contain an anticoagulant? What are the anticoagulants in those

tubes?

• Lavender: EDTA

• Green: lithium heparin or sodium heparin

What types of tests can be run on the different blood tubes?

Whole blood, Plasma, Complete Blood Count (CBC), Pack Cell Volume (PCV), Total Protein (TP)

What are the sizes of needles used in vet med from smallest to largest?

Larger the gauge the smaller the size of the needle; 25, 22, 20, 18, 16 gauge

What are the sizes of syringes used in vet med?

Insulin, 1, 3, 5&6, 12, 12 curved tip, 20, 30, 60mL

Commonly used locations for drawing blood in dogs and cats

All animals: Jugular

Cats: Saphenous/Femoral Vein

Dogs: Lateral saphenous veins

Needle, syringe, blood tubes, alcohol spray and/or alcohol saturated cotton ball if needed, muzzle, gauze & vet wrap, tourniquet

What are the supplies you need to prepare for a blood draw?

What is whole blood?

Everything in blood; red and white blood cells, platelets, and plasma

Plasma

pale yellow liquid that transports and suspends red and white blood cells and platelets

PCV: Packed Cell Volume is the percentage of red blood cells in blood found using microhematocrit tubes, unit of measurement is %

TP: Total protein tells us how much of the plasma is serum and how much is protein, measured by using a refractometer, units are grams per deciliter (g/dL)

What is PCV/TP and what are the steps to perform this test? What are the

units of measurement for each part of this test?

What are the different plasma colors and what can they indicate?

Normal: clear and colorless to light “straw-yellow”

Icterus: clear and yellow

Hemolysis: clear and red

Lipemia: turbid and white

• Lymphocyte: agranulocyte regulates immune system, antibody protection

• Monocyte: agranulocyte fights off viruses and infections

• Eosinophil: granulocyte participates in allergic reactions, defends against parasitic infections

• Basophil: granulocyte releases histamine during allergic reactions, plays a role in inflammation

• Neutrophil: granulocyte helps the body fight off infections 1st immune cell to respond

What are the different white blood cells? What are their jobs in the body?

Granulocytes

Eosinophil, Basophil, Neutrophil

What is a platelet/thrombocyte?

Colorless blood cell fragments that aid in blood clotting

Nucleated red blood cell; bone marrow is releasing young red blood cells, due to anemia, hypoxia, or some other condition that requires more blood cells be released into the blood stream

What is an nRBC and what can it indicate?

Which Values on a chemistry panel indicate liver health?

ALT, AST, ALP, GGT

What indicates general liver function?

T. bili, Globulin, Albumin, Bile Acids, Ammonia, Cholesterol

What can affect albumin levels?

inflammation, hydration

Which values on a chemistry panel indicate kidney health?

BUN, Creat

Which values on a chemistry panel indicate pancreatic health?

Exocrine function = Amylase, lipase (digestive enzymes)

Endocrine function = glucose (insulin secretion)

Pathogen

disease causing microorganisms

Bacteria

single celled living microorganisms responsible for the decay of many plant and animal diseases

Virus

smallest of the microbial food contaminants, viruses rely on living host to reproduce

Parasite

organism that needs a living host to survive

Fungi

can be single celled or multi cellular microorganisms that can cause food spoilage and lives by absorbing nutrients from organic matter

pH

potential of Hydrogen. A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution

Spore

formed by some bacteria, thickens walls to protect from adverse conditions such as extreme acidity or temperature

Vegetative State

is a condition favorable for bacteria to grow and multiply rapidly

Budding Reproduction

A form of asexual reproduction where a new bud or bump is formed from the mother cell

Water Activity

The amount of moisture available in food for microorganisms to grow

Mycology

The study of fungi and yeast

What are the different shapes of bacteria?

Spheres (Cocci), Rod (bacilli), Spirals

What is antimicrobial sensitivity testing?

Bacterial samples isolated from patient and used to determine effective antimicrobial treatment

What can negatively impact the reliability of your culture sample?

Timing sample collection and processing, proper staining technique, equipment maintenance, use of aseptic technique

What are the different sample collection methods for cytology?

Impression smear, scraping, swabbing, FNA

What are the steps for staining a slide for cytology?

Dry slide, dip slide in fixative jar, dip slide in eosinophilic stain, dip in basophilic stain, rinse, let slide dry again

Transudate: Noninflammatory, clear, colorless, low TNCC, low total protein

Exudate: Inflammatory cells present, high TNCC, high total protein, possible bacteria present

What is the difference between transudate and exudate?

What are the 4 different macroscopic evaluations we perform on a urine

sample?

Color, clarity, odor, concentration

Pale yellow: healthy and hydrated

Bright yellow: excess of B vitamins

Red: blood in urine or eating beetroot or blackberries

Orange: dehydration, certain drugs and medications, eating lots of carrots

Green: Drugs containing phenol, some antidepressants, dyes in food, biliverdin (bile pigment), certain infections

Brown: certain antipsychotic dogs, certain antibiotics, phenytoin (Dilantin), sennoside laxatives

Purple: Porphyria, a rare metabolic disorder

What can urine color indicate? What are the different colors we can see in

urine samples and what is their clinical significance?

What does cloudy urine clarity indicate?

Infection, mucus, crystals, protein, or cells

What does certain odors of the urine sample indicate?

Stong ammonia odor: Urinary tract infection

Sweet or fruity odor: diabetes mellitus

Normal range of USG for dogs and cats

Dog: 1.015 - 1.045

Cat: 1.035 - 1.060

Low USG

Overhydration, diabetes insipidus, or chronic kidney disease (CKD)

What does a high USG indicate?

Dehydration, diabetes mellitus, shock

• pH

• Protein

• Glucose

• Ketones

• Bilirubin

• Blood

• Leukocytes

What do we use urine dipsticks for?

RBCs: Trauma, infection, kidney disease, bladder stones

WBCs: Inflammation, UTI

Squamous Epithelial Cells: Normal (from urethra, external genitalia)

Transitional Epithelial Cells: Bladder inflammation, transitional cells carcinoma

What are the different cell types seen on a urine sediment cytology and what is the clinical significance?

Struvite, Calcium Oxalate Dihydrate, Calcium Oxalate Monohydrate, Ammonium Biurate, Cystine Crystals, Leucine/Tyrosine Crystals

What are the different urine crystal types?

What are the different methods of collecting urine samples?

Free catch, manual expression, catheterization, cystocentesis

What is the best way to handle/store urine samples?

Refrigerate, but best to examine fresh urine whenever possible

What are endoparasites?

Organisms that live inside a host’s body

What are the two main types of endoparasites?

Helminths and Protozoa

Nematodes

Roundworms, cylindrical unsegmented worms

Tapeworms, Flat, segmented worms that typically inhabit the gastrointestinal tracts, absorbing nutrients directly through their skin

Cestodes

Leaf-shaped flatworms that often target organs like the liver, lungs, or blood vessels

Termatodes

Toxocara: Fecal-oral; bloated abdomen, stunted growth, dull coat, diarrhea, vomiting, potential intestinal blockage; routine deworming, prompt disposal of pet feces, cover sandboxes and promote proper hand hygiene, especially in children

Ancylostoma: Direct skin penetration/Fecal-oral/Transmammary; severe anemia, dark tarry stool, weight loss, dull coat, failure to thrive, and sudden collapse or death in severe infections; Deworming, prompt removal of feces, keeping pet areas dry and clean, wearing shoes in high-risk outdoor areas

Tichuris: Fecal Oral; diarrhea, straining to defecate and abdominal discomfort, weight loss, unthrifty coat, anemia, high-burden infections; broad-specturm anthelmintics

What are the 3 types of nematodes we discussed? What is the transmission

route for each? What are the clinical signs of these parasites? What are the

prevention/control methods for each?

What is the intermediate host for diplydium caninum? What is the prevention

method?

Fleas and chewing lice; year round flea prevention, environmental hygiene and treating household pets simultaneously for feas

What is the method of transmission for giardia? Which stage of giardia is

considered ineffective? What are the clinical signs of giardia? How is giardia

diagnosed? What is the treatment for giardia?

Fecal-oral; Cyst; Acute or chronic, pale, malodorous, fatty, or mucoid diarrhea

What are ectoparasites?

A parasite that resides on the outside surface of the body

Host

provides nutrition and possibly protection for the parasite, can be periodic or definitive

Intermediate Host

Harbors the larval, immature, or asexual stages of a parasite

Insect

3 distinct body parts (head, thorax and abdoment), have 6 legs (3 pairs), and antenna or suckers present

Arachnids

These animals are in the same family as spiders and have 2 distinct body parts (head and abdomen) as well as 8 legs (4 pairs)

Nematoda

No distinct body parts, resemble worms, includes leeches

What is flea dirt?

Flea waste

Intermediate host for fleas

Roundworms and tapeworms

What is a cuterebra?

Bot Fly

What are maggots?

Larval stage of flies

What can mosquitos transmit to animals and humans?

Malaria, yellow fever, elephantasis, west Nile Virus, and heartworm

Biting/chewing lice with a flat head

Trichodectes

Sucking lice with a skinny head

Lingonathus

Class of animal for Mites

Arachnida

Which mite causes mange (2 different types)?

Sarcoptic and Demodectic

What are the symptoms of notoedres cati?

yellow/brown crusting on the skin

Electromagnetic radiation that is similar to visible light but with a much shorter wavelength

What are X-rays?

Thyroid cancer, somatic damage, genetic damage; areas with rapidly dividing cells are at the greatest risk of damage

• Eyes

• Thyroid

• Lungs

• GI tract

• Reproductive organs

• Skin

• Bone marrow

Thyroid cancer; somatic damage, genetic damage

What are the hazards of radiation?

What are the safety measures for taking radiographs?

Wear lead-lined gown, thyroid shield, no human body parts should ever be in the beam, no one under 18 years old, pregnant women are restricted

Dorsal

Patient’s back

Ventral

Patient’s abdomen

Anterior or Proximal

Closest to the point of attachment

Posterior or Distal

Furthest from the point of attachment

Left lateral

Patient is on their right side