AUBF CHAP 1-2

Vocabulary flashcards covering essential terms from clinical laboratory safety, infection control, quality management, and urinalysis/body-fluid automation.

Safety Procedure Manual

Document detailing CDC and OSHA–mandated safety policies; must be accessible in the lab and reviewed annually.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

U.S. agency that issues laboratory safety guidelines and infection-control recommendations.

Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)

Federal agency that mandates workplace safety regulations, including those for clinical laboratories.

Laboratory Director

Individual responsible for reviewing and updating the lab safety manual each year.

Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI)

Organization that publishes guidelines for writing laboratory procedures and policies.

Chain of Infection

Six-link sequence—infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, susceptible host—that describes how infections spread.

Infectious Agent

Pathogen (bacterium, virus, parasite, fungus) capable of causing disease.

Reservoir

Place where a pathogen lives and multiplies, e.g., humans, animals, fomites.

Portal of Exit

Pathway by which an infectious agent leaves its reservoir (e.g., nose, mouth, blood).

Means of Transmission

Method by which a pathogen is conveyed to a new host (direct, airborne, droplet, vehicle, vector).

Portal of Entry

Route through which a pathogen enters a new host (mucous membranes, broken skin).

Susceptible Host

Person at risk of infection due to weakened immunity, age, stress, or invasive procedures.

Fomite

Soiled inanimate object that can harbor and transmit pathogens, especially when contaminated with body fluids.

Infection Control

Facility policies and procedures aimed at monitoring and preventing healthcare-associated infections.

Direct Contact Transmission

Spread of infection when an unprotected host touches a patient, specimen, or contaminated surface.

Airborne Transmission

Infection spread by inhalation of dried aerosol particles carried on air currents or dust.

Droplet Transmission

Inhalation of infectious droplets generated by coughing, sneezing, or specimen handling.

Vehicle Transmission

Ingestion of contaminated substances such as food, water, or laboratory specimens.

Vector Transmission

Spread of disease through an animal or insect bite.

Standard Precautions (SP)

1996 CDC/HICPAC guidelines combining Universal Precautions and Body Substance Isolation to prevent exposure to bloodborne and other pathogens.

Universal Precautions (UP)

1987 CDC policy treating all patients as potential carriers of bloodborne pathogens; emphasizes glove and face protection with blood.

Body Substance Isolation (BSI)

Approach that treats all moist body substances as potentially infectious; requires glove use but originally minimized post-glove hand hygiene.

Hand Hygiene

Handwashing or alcohol-based antisepsis performed before and after patient or specimen contact and after glove removal.

Gloves

Clean, non-sterile protective wear donned when touching blood, body fluids, or mucous membranes; changed between tasks.

Mouth, Nose & Eye Protection

Masks, goggles, or face shields used during procedures likely to generate splashes or sprays.

Gown

Fluid-resistant garment worn to protect skin and clothing from splashes; removed promptly after use.

Patient-Care Equipment

Items soiled with body substances that must be handled to avoid exposure and decontaminated before reuse.

Environmental Control

Routine cleaning and disinfection of surfaces, beds, and frequently touched objects to reduce pathogen spread.

Occupational Health & Bloodborne Pathogens

Programs and practices that prevent sharps injuries and exposure to bloodborne agents.

Respiratory Hygiene/Cough Etiquette

Measures that educate and equip coughing individuals to contain secretions and reduce droplet spread.

Sharps Hazard

Risk posed by needles, lancets, and broken glass; requires disposal in puncture-resistant biohazard containers.

Safety Data Sheet (SDS)

Manufacturer document summarizing a chemical’s hazards, handling, and first-aid procedures.

Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP)

Laboratory program covering safe work practices, SOPs, PPE, engineering controls, training, and medical consultation for chemical use.

PASS

Four-step method for using a fire extinguisher: Pull pin, Aim at base, Squeeze handles, Sweep side-to-side.

RACE

Fire response acronym: Rescue, Alarm, Contain, Extinguish/Evacuate.

Quality Management (QM)

Comprehensive process ensuring quality patient care across pre-, intra-, and post-testing phases.

Quality System

All policies, processes, procedures, and resources a lab uses to achieve quality testing.

Preexamination Variables

Factors before testing—ordering, patient prep, specimen collection, handling, and storage—that affect results.

Examination Variables

Components of the analytical phase, including reagents, instruments, procedures, QC, and personnel competency.

Postexamination Variables

Processes after analysis—result reporting, delta checks, and corrections—that influence patient care.

Turnaround Time (TAT)

Interval from test order to result reporting.

Preventive Maintenance (PM)

Scheduled servicing of instruments to prevent malfunction and ensure accuracy.

Quality Control (QC)

Materials and procedures that monitor accuracy, precision, and reliability of laboratory testing.

External Quality Control

Use of known materials to assess accuracy and precision against expected values.

Internal Quality Control

Built-in checks that monitor reagent-sample interaction and test strip performance during each run.

Electronic Control (EQC)

Mechanical or electrical device that simulates a liquid QC sample for instrument checks.

Proficiency Testing (External Quality Assessment)

Blind testing of unknown samples from an outside agency to assess lab performance.

Mean

Average value of a set of data points.

Standard Deviation (SD)

Statistic describing the average distance of data points from the mean.

Coefficient of Variation (CV)

SD expressed as a percentage of the mean; assesses relative variability.

Confidence Interval

Range (often ±2 SD or ±3 SD) that contains a specified proportion of expected results.

Trend

Gradual movement of QC results in one direction over time.

Shift

Sudden change in QC results to a new mean.

Delta Check

Comparison of current patient results with previous values to detect significant discrepancies.

Reflectance Photometry

Spectrophotometric technique measuring light reflected from reagent pads to quantify analytes.

Light-Emitting Diode (LED)

Monochromatic light source used to illuminate reagent pads at specific wavelengths.

Laboratory Information System (LIS)

Computer system that stores, processes, and transmits laboratory data and results.

Semiautomated Instrument

Analyzer requiring manual specimen mixing, strip dipping, and entry of microscopic results but provides automated readout.

Fully Automated Chemistry Analyzer

System that moves, identifies, mixes, and tests urine samples automatically with walk-away capability.

Flow Cytometry

Technology that analyzes physical and fluorescent characteristics of particles in a fluid stream.

Sysmex UF-1000i

Fully automated urine particle analyzer using fluorescent flow cytometry with red (635 nm) laser.

Sysmex UN-2000

Modular urinalysis system combining UF-5000 flow cytometer and UD-10 digital imaging for integrated chemistry and microscopy.

Beckman Coulter iQ200

Automated urine microscopy analyzer employing digital flow morphology and auto particle recognition.

UriSed 2

Automated urine sediment analyzer using bright-field imaging of centrifuged urine.

UriSed 3 Pro

Enhanced urine sediment analyzer using bright-field and phase-contrast microscopy for improved element differentiation.

Clinitek AUWi System

Integrated system combining Clinitek Atlas chemistry analyzer with Sysmex UF-1000i for automated urinalysis.

iRICELL

Workcell combining iChem VELOCITY urine chemistry analyzer with iQ200 microscopy analyzer.

cobas 6500

Roche modular urine analyzer that links cobas u 601 chemistry and cobas u 701 microscopy modules.

UX-2000

Sysmex automated analyzer performing physical, chemical, and microscopic urine analysis in one instrument.

Automated Microscopy Analyzer

Instrument that identifies and counts formed elements in urine using flow cytometry or digital imaging.

Auto Particle Recognition (APR)

Image-analysis algorithm that categorizes particles by size, shape, texture, and contrast (iQ200).

Conveyor System (Urinalysis)

Automated track moving sample racks between chemistry and microscopy analyzers for walkaway testing.

Turnaround Time Improvement (Automation)

Reduction in result reporting time achieved by automated systems standardizing processing and analysis.

Hemocytometer

Manual counting chamber (e.g., Neubauer) used for cell enumeration in body fluids.

ADVIA 2120i

Hematology analyzer using flow cytometry and absorbance to count cells in blood and body fluids, including lamellar bodies.

Sysmex XN-Series

Advanced hematology analyzers with dedicated body fluid mode providing WBC counts and two-part differentials.

GloCyte

Automated CSF cell counter using fluorescent antibodies and nucleic acid dyes with digital imaging.

High-Fluorescing Cells (HF-BFS)

Cells detected in XN-Series body fluid mode that may indicate tumor or mesothelial cells.

Trend vs. Shift

Trend: gradual drift in QC data; Shift: abrupt movement to new mean—both signal potential problems.

Preventing Needlestick Injuries

Use of self-sheathing needles, no two-hand recapping, and disposal in puncture-resistant containers.

Chemical Hygiene – Acid to Water Rule

Acids must always be added to water (not vice versa) to prevent splashing and exothermic reactions.

Radiation Hazard Cumulative Effect

Biologic damage from radiation exposure accumulates over time; dose limits must be observed.

Grounded Equipment

Electrical devices fitted with three-pronged plugs to prevent shock hazards.

Refractometer Calibration

Daily check using deionized water (1.000), 5 % saline (1.022 ± 0.001), and 9 % sucrose (1.034 ± 0.001).

Preventive Maintenance Frequency

Centrifuge calibration every 3 months; disinfection weekly or after spills.

Coefficient of Variation Acceptability

Lower CV values indicate higher precision; labs monitor CV to ensure consistent performance.

Color Compensation Pad

Reference pad on some strip readers that adjusts for urine color interfering with reagent pad readings.

Bidirectional Interface

Communication link allowing analyzers to both receive orders and send results to LIS.

Autoverification

Automatic release of results meeting predefined criteria without technologist review.

Reflex Testing

Automatic additional testing triggered by abnormal primary results according to lab rules.

Levy-Jennings Chart

Graphical QC tool plotting control results against mean and SD limits to detect trends or shifts.

CLIA-Waived Analyzer

Device simple enough to present minimal risk of erroneous results; subject to less regulatory oversight.

Wet Floor Hazard

Common physical hazard; workers should watch for spills to prevent slips and falls.

Closed-Toed Shoes

Required footwear in the laboratory to protect feet from chemical and sharps hazards.