Laboratory Safety, Equipment, Phlebotomy, and Specimen Processing Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards generated from lecture notes covering laboratory safety, infection control, PPE protocols, laboratory glassware, pipettes, phlebotomy, order of draw, centrifuges, and waste management.

Handwashing

Recognized as the single most effective way to break the chain of infection in a laboratory setting using antimicrobial soap, requiring at least $15\,\text{seconds}$ of continuous rubbing.

Ignaz Semmelweis

Historically recognized as an important pioneer of handwashing in medical practice.

OSHA

Occupational Safety and Health Administration; regulatory organization requiring employers to provide necessary PPE and maintain safe working conditions.

N95 Respirator

Respirator designed to filter at least $95\%$ of airborne particles under standardized testing.

Airborne Particles / Aerosols

Particles typically smaller than approximately $5\,\text{microns}$.

Standard Precautions

Infection-control concept that treats all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious and combines universal precautions with body substance isolation.

CLABSI

Acronym standing for Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection.

Concentrated Acid Dilution

Mandatory safe procedure requiring adding acid to water slowly.

PASS

Mnemonic standing for Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep when operating a fire extinguisher.

Class B Fire

Fire classification involving flammable liquids such as gasoline and solvents.

Black Waste Container

Waste container specifically designated for dry, noninfectious waste.

Yellow Waste Container

Waste container designated for wet, infectious waste such as blood-contaminated paper or gauze.

Green Waste Container

Waste container designated for wet, noninfectious waste.

Red Waste Container

Waste container designated for needles, lancets, and sharps.

Borosilicate Glass

Most common type of glassware used in laboratories due to its high thermal and chemical resistance.

Corex Brand Glass

Special aluminosilicate glass that is chemically strengthened and approximately six times stronger than borosilicate glass.

Low-Actinic Glass

Amber-colored or reddish-brown glass specially designed to protect light-sensitive substances such as bilirubin, Vitamin A, or reagents.

Light Blue Tube

Blood-collection tube containing sodium citrate with a required blood-to-anticoagulant ratio of $9:1$ for coagulation testing.

Black Tube

Blood-collection tube containing sodium citrate with a ratio of $1:4$ used for ESR.

Gray Tube

Blood-collection tube containing sodium fluoride (an inhibitor of the enzyme enolase) and potassium oxalate.

Sterile Yellow Tube

Blood-collection tube or blood culture bottle containing Sodium Polyanethol Sulfonate (SPS).

Red Plastic Tube

Tube containing clot activator requiring approximately $30\,\text{min}$ clot time.

Red Glass Tube

Tube containing no additive requiring approximately $60\,\text{min}$ clot time.

Gold / SST Tube

Tube containing silica clot activator and thixotropic gel.

Green Tube

Blood-collection tube containing Heparin (Lithium or sodium).

Lavender Tube

Blood-collection tube containing K2 / K3 EDTA.

Enolase

The enzyme in the glycolytic pathway inhibited by sodium fluoride.

Order of Draw

Standard sequence for venipuncture: Sterile blood culture tube / Yellow -> Blue (Citrate) -> Red (Non-additive / Clot Activator) -> Green (Heparin) -> Lavender (EDTA) -> Gray (Fluoride).

To-Deliver (TD) Pipette

Pipette calibrated using distilled water as calibration medium.

To-Contain (TC) Pipette

Pipette calibration type designation calibrated to hold a specific volume using mercury.

Serological Pipette

Measuring pipette with graduation marks extending all the way to the tip, classified as a blow-out pipette.

Mohr Pipette

Self-draining measuring pipette whose graduations do not reach the tip.

Volumetric Pipette

Transfer pipette with a bulb in the center offering the highest degree of accuracy.

Ostwald-Folin Pipette

Blow-out transfer pipette with a bulb near the tip, used for viscous fluids.

Pasteur Pipette

Disposable glass or plastic tube used for non-exact dropwise transfer.

Vycor Glass

Glass with high heat resistance up to $1200\,^\circ\text{C}$, used for severe chemical use.

Flint Glass

Soda-lime glass that breaks easily when heated, designed for disposable use.

Cuvette

Container used in a spectrophotometer to hold light-tested samples.

Blow-out Category Markings

Markings on a pipette consisting of continuous etched rings near the top indicating it belongs to the blow-out operational category.

Self-draining Category Markings

Pipettes free of etched rings where liquid drains solely under gravity.

Bottom of the Meniscus

The eye-level point where measurements should be read for a clear solution forming a concave meniscus.

Hypodermic Needle Gauge

Needle size rating where an increase in gauge number corresponds to a decrease in bore size.

Tourniquet Application Limit

Maximum recommended duration of $1\,\text{minute}$ applied to a patient's arm during phlebotomy.

Hemoconcentration

The phenomenon where prolonged tourniquet application alters blood concentration and test results.

Chylomicrons

The least dense lipoprotein group in ultracentrifuge separation.

Erlenmeyer Flask

Conical flask designed to reduce splashing during mixing.

Phlebotomy

The act of obtaining blood from a blood vessel.

Venipuncture

Specific term for obtaining blood from a vein.

Plasma

The liquid portion of blood obtained when blood is prevented from clotting with an anticoagulant.

Serum

The liquid portion remaining after blood has clotted.

Meniscus

The curvature formed by a liquid surface in a container or tube.

Parallax Error

The error in volume measurement caused by not reading a meniscus at eye level.

Donning

The term for putting on personal protective equipment (PPE).

Doffing

The term for removing personal protective equipment (PPE).

Fomite

An inanimate object (e.g., bedsheet, instrument) that can transfer infectious organisms.

Chain of Infection

The 6-component model describing how infections spread: Pathogen -> Reservoir -> Portal of Exit -> Mode of Transmission -> Portal of Entry -> Susceptible host.

Safety Data Sheet (SDS)

Document that provides comprehensive hazard, handling, and first-aid data for chemicals.

RACE

Fire response mnemonic standing for Rescue, Alarm, Contain, Extinguish.

Type D Fire

Fire classification for combustible metals like sodium, lithium, and magnesium.

Type K Fire

Fire classification involving cooking fats, grease, and oils.

Skull-and-Crossbones GHS Pictogram

GHS hazard pictogram indicating Acute Toxicity / Poisoning.

NFPA Diamond Sections

Red represents Flammability, Blue represents Health Hazards, Yellow represents Instability / Reactivity, and white contains specific hazard symbols.

NFPA Specific Hazard Symbols

Symbols including W with a line through it (water reactive / Use No Water), OX (Oxidizer), ALK (Alkali / Alkaline), and ACID (Acid / Acidic material).

NFPA Rating Scale Maximum

Maximum severity value on the NFPA rating scale represented by Rating 4.

Horizontal-Head Centrifuge

Also called a swinging-bucket centrifuge, where tubes swing into a horizontal position during rotation.

Fixed-Angle Centrifuge

Centrifuge type that holds tubes at a fixed angle at approximately $25^\circ$ to $50^\circ$.

Ultracentrifuge

High-speed refrigerated centrifuge used for lipoprotein and protein analysis.

Sediment or Pellet

The dense packed material found at the bottom of a tube after centrifugation.

Supernatant

The clear liquid portion found above the sediment after centrifugation.

Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL)

Lipoprotein commonly referred to as bad cholesterol.

High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL)

Lipoprotein commonly referred to as good cholesterol.

Parafilm

Flexible, stretchable sealing film used to cover test tubes, flasks, and containers.

Tachometer

Measuring device used to verify centrifuge rotations per minute (RPM) quarterly.

4-Step Sequence for Donning PPE

1. Laboratory gown or protective clothing -> 2. Mask or respirator -> 3. Goggles or face shield -> 4. Gloves.

4-Step Sequence for Doffing PPE

1. Gloves -> 2. Goggles or face shield -> 3. Laboratory gown or protective clothing -> 4. Mask or respirator.

Major Blood-Borne Pathogens in Sharps Injuries

The three common blood-borne pathogens of major concern: Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus, and HIV.