AMT RPT Practice Exam 1

What is the indication for making a blood smear?

To look for malaria

What is the most critical step in collecting a blood culture?

Cleansing the venipuncture site

What abnormal color will be observed in serum collected from a patient with jaundice due to elevated bilirubin levels?

Yellow

What is the primary reason for using a syringe transfer device?

Transferring blood safely from a syringe into evacuated tubes

Why is it necessary to wipe the first drop of blood away when performing a capillary procedure?

Reduce interstitial fluid contamination

Which substance has a higher concentration in capillary blood than in venous blood?

Glucose

Which of the following comes first in the sequence of performing a finger stick procedure?

Sanitize hands and put on gloves

What should be the very first step in performing a routine venipuncture on a patient?

Identify yourself

Bracing the hand while holding the needle assembly against the patient's arm

prevents excess needle movement.

Which of the following conditions would most likely cause hemoconcentration?

The tourniquet is kept on too long

Which of the following situations would most likely trigger hematoma formation?

Removing the needle while the tourniquet is still on the arm

Blood begins to flow and stops when an evacuated tube is pushed into the needle. What is most likely the cause?

The bevel of the needle is against the vein wall

The additive sodium fluoride is used when collecting a sample for a blood glucose test because of its ability to inhibit glycolysis. What colored stopper would be found on an evacuated blood collection tube used for this purpose?

Light gray top

If an individual comes in for an autologous donation, what is this person coming to do?

Donate their own blood for their own use

Hemoconcentration of a specimen can be avoided by

removing the tourniquet within one minute.

What anticoagulant can be found in a green-topped blood collection vacuum tube?

Sodium heparin

Allowing alcohol to dry completely prior to skin puncture prevents

hemolysis of red blood cells.

Which vein should be the initial choice for routine blood specimen collection?

Medial cubital

Which of the following is the best protocol after collecting an arterial blood specimen?

Apply firm pressure to the puncture site for a minimum of five minutes

What is the most effective technique to use if blood is absent immediately upon needle insertion?

Gently advance the needle or pull back slightly

What is the preferred method for infant blood collection?

Capillary

What does the term calcaneus refer to?

The heel bone in the foot

Which of the following shows the correct steps in the procedure for preparing a blood smear?

Perform the skin puncture, wipe away the first drop of blood, and then touch the slide to the next drop of blood

Which of the following tubes is normally used to collect a serum sample?

Red top

Which of the following is the proper technique when performing a heel puncture on an infant?

Placing the lancet flat against the skin on the medial or lateral plantar surface of the heel

Which of the following patients is a phlebotomist least likely to use a butterfly needle on?

A patient with resilient and bouncy veins

Which of the following is mandated to be on a label of a blood specimen collected for blood transfusion testing?

Patient's full name

The most critical part of a blood culture collection is

skin antisepsis of the collection site.

Using an expired evacuated tube for blood specimen collection can lead to

exhibiting incomplete filling.

What is a coagulation process that causes formation of a blood clot followed by lysing of the blood clot when the injury is repaired?

Hemostasis

What is of primary importance to prevent the vein from rolling during venipuncture?

Anchoring the vein while inserting the needle

A skin or capillary puncture is preferred over a venipuncture when the patient

has severe burns.

What antiseptic should be used for routine blood collection?

70% isopropyl alcohol

What is the liquid portion of an un-clotted or anticoagulated blood?

Plasma

What is the second most common complication of venipuncture?

Infection

What is the correct angle at which the needle should enter the skin?

15-30 degrees

How far above the venipuncture site should the tourniquet be wrapped around the arm?

3 to 4 inches

Which is the most critically affected analyte in a hemolyzed specimen?

Potassium

If a vein feels hard and thready like when palpated

the vein may be, sclerosed

What would be the best approach to use when a child is getting blood drawn?

Explain what you are going to do in simple terms and ask the child for his or her cooperation

When palpating, which type of vein would be most appropriate to select for venipuncture?

Bouncy

Petechiae are tiny non-raised red spots on a patient's skin when the tourniquet is applied. Which of the following is petechiae likely to indicate?

The site may bleed excessively

Which of the following should be applied to the venipuncture site?

Clean gauze pad or cotton ball

When is a phlebotomist allowed to use ankle veins to draw blood?

With a physician's order

As the phlebotomist, you have just completed drawing the last blood sample tube. You place gauze over the puncture site, remove the needle from the arm, activate the needle safety device, and then release the tourniquet before applying pressure. Is this the correct sequence of steps?

No, the tourniquet should be released before the gauze pad is placed over the puncture site

Which of the following represents the proper sequential draw?

Serum tube, heparin tube, EDTA tube

To avoid contamination when should the needle cap be removed?

Immediately before performing the puncture

Why are older patients are more prone to hematoma formation?

Their veins have decreased elasticity

What does color coding indicate on a needle?

Gauge

A phlebotomist should avoid venipuncture in the lower extremities such as the foot and ankle

but it may be acceptable if, all other options have been exhausted and the physician provides an order.

For which of the following is collection of timed samples indicated?

Therapeutic drug monitoring

What color-coded top contains heparin?

Green

What color evacuated tube is commonly used for coagulation testing?

Light blue

When blood collected in a syringe must be placed in evacuated tubes it is best if

a blood transfer device is attached to the syringe.

Which of the following is an appropriate site for blood collection?

Basilic vein

If an EDTA evacuated tube is collected before a heparinized tube what test would potentially be affected?

Potassium level

In which of the following tests does the phlebotomist place the blood specimen in circles on special filter paper?

PKU

Heparinized plasma is preferred for some chemistry tests. How does heparin prevent clotting?

It inhibits the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin

What color-coded tube is most frequently associated with hematological tests such as CBC?

Lavender

Which additive is used to prevent glycolysis?

Sodium Fluoride

What is bruising caused by blood leaking from a blood vessel?

Hematoma

What happens immediately after the last tube is filled?

The filled tube is removed from the holder

What information would be excluded from the label of a blood bank specimen?

NPO status of the patient and time of last meal

When a patient develops syncope during venipuncture, what should the phlebotomist do first?

Remove tourniquet and needle and call for help

What color-coded tube is used for coagulation tests?

Light blue

What is the preferred site to perform a heel stick on an infant to prevent possible bone damage?

Medial plantar surface

A blood sample is needed from a dialysis patient. Which is the most acceptable procedure?

Draw from a hand vein

If a hematoma develops during blood collection the phlebotomist should

Remove the needle and hold pressure for two minutes

A patient states that he or she has a needle phobia; what should the phlebotomist do?

Have the patient lie down during the procedure.

If the phlebotomist is utilizing a blood collection tube containing the additive sodium citrate which inhibits glycolysis, which type of laboratory test is being completed?

Coagulation studies

If a patient is in critical condition or an antibiotic must be immediately given

Two blood culture sets are collected, immediately from two different sites.

When blood is inoculated into blood culture bottles using a butterfly apparatus the

aerobic bottle is inoculated first.

What may happen if the plunger on the syringe is pulled back too fast?

The specimen may be hemolyzed

When is a fasting specimen best collected?

Early in the morning

What is the correct procedure to stop bleeding at a venipuncture site?

Place a gauze pad over the site and hold pressure for 5 to 15 minutes

What may cause a hematoma during venipuncture?

The needle bevel is partially inserted into a vein

When performing a capillary blood collection

the first blood drop is wiped away because, it typically has more tissue fluid.

When preparing the venipuncture site

the best and most commonly used antiseptic to prepare a routine venipuncture site is, 70% isopropyl alcohol.

A serum or plasma specimen containing abnormally increased fatty substances from animal or vegetable origin is described as

lipemic

Which of the following is not appropriate when greeting a patient for blood specimen collection?

Explain the purpose of a blood test

When is a postprandial specimen collected?

Two hours after a meal is consumed

What will vigorous mixing or shaking of blood collection tubes cause?

Hemolysis

A falsely decreased blood alcohol level may be obtained if

the tube is only partially filled.

When an outpatient reports a history of syncope the phlebotomy technician should

require the patient to lie down during the venipuncture.

A urine sample collected for a glucose tolerance test (GTT) must contain what additional information on the label?

Time of collection

When should the specimen container for a blood sample be labeled?

Immediately after the draw

Which of the following is the single most important factor in collecting an uncontaminated blood culture?

Preparing the site collection properly

Which of the following sections in Pathology examines tissues and cell smears for evidence of cancer, infection, or other abnormalities?

Cytology

If a sodium citrate tube is only partially filled

it may interfere with test results because, there is an imbalance in the anticoagulant to blood ratio.

Which method of routine urine collection is most appropriate in the outpatient facility?

Clean catch

If urine testing is delayed how long can it be kept at room temperature?

60 minutes

Which test is used to diagnose problems with hemostasis?

Bleeding Time

Specimen integrity refers to

the collection, handling, transporting, and processing of a specimen that ensures quality during testing.

How should bottles for a blood culture test be filled when collecting blood through a butterfly needle?

Aerobic bottle first, then anaerobic bottle

Which of the following best describes the proper collection of a sputum specimen?

Coughing mucus up from deep in the lung into a sterile cup

What method of urine specimen collection may be indicated for pediatric patients?

Urine collection bag

How can a urine sample be stored if it will be processed within one hour?

At room temperature

What is synovial fluid also known as?

Joint fluid

What is the term that describes a portion of a whole sample that has been taken for use or storage?

Aliquot

Which vein is preferred first for venipuncture?

Median cubital