AMT / RPT Practice Test

The process by which complex substances are broken down into simple substances is called

Catabolism

When a patient develops syncope during a venipuncture, the phlebotomist should first:

remove the tourniquet and needle and then call for help.

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

Glucose is normally higher in capillary blood compared to venous blood and Potassium, Calcium and Total Protein are normally lower

If a patient is critical or an antibiotic needs to be given right away, and two blood culture sets are collected

When more than one set of blood cultures are ordered to be collected at the same time, the second set should be obtained from a separately prepared site on the opposite arm if possible

When performing a capillary blood collection, the first blood drop is wiped away because

the first drop typically has more tissue fluid

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

to eliminate excess tissue fluid;To reduce interstitial fluid contamination

The color-coded tube that is most frequently associated with coagulation tests is

light blue

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

3 to 4 inches

How long should a tourniquet be placed around a patient's arm?

No more than one minute

When is a phlebotomist allowed to perform a venipuncture on an ankle vein?

When all other options have been exhausted and the physician has given approval

Prior to bandaging the puncture site the phlebotomist should

examine the site for bleeding

During venipuncture, a hematoma may result from which of the following?

Needle bevel is partially inserted into a vein

Alcohol should be allowed to dry completely prior to skin puncture to

prevent lysis of red blood cells

When palpating, a vein having which one of the following characteristics would be most appropriate to select for venipuncture?

Bouncy

Following venipuncture, which of the following should be applied to the venipuncture site?

Clean, sterile gauze pad

What is the preferred method for infant blood collection?

Capillary

Which of the following actions could cause the formation of a hematoma?

The needle penetrates all the way through the vein

what is the most critically affected analyte in a hemolyzed specimen

Potassium

The heel is the recommended site for collection of capillary puncture specimens on infants and the phlebotomist is going to stick in the posterior curvature of the heel. Is this correct?

No the medial plantar surface of the heel is the best site to prevent possible bone damage

You have properly prepared the antecubital venipuncture site, you have the corrrect collection device and enter the vein at a 20 degree angle. Is this the proper angle of insertion?

No, 30 degrees is the correct angle for the needle to be inserted into the skin

If blood begins to flow and then stops when an evacuated tube is pushed into the needle the most likely cause is the

bevel of the needle resting against the vein wall.

Petechiae are tiny, nonraised red spots on a patient's skin when the tourniquet is applied. This indicates, that

Petechiae, the tiny red spots, are minute drops of blood that escapes from the capillaries and comes to the surface of the skin below the tourniquet and indicate that the venipuncture site may bleed excessively

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

With a physician's order

The most critical part of a blood culture collection is

skin antisepsis of the collection site

Swelling caused from blood leaking from a blood vessel is

hematoma

If serum is left to remain on the blood clot for more than one hour, which of the following most likely will occur?

Serum glucose levels decrease

The liquid portion of an anticoagulated blood specimen is called

plasma

A collapsed vein will cause a

If a vein collapses during venipuncture there will be a cessation of blood flow.

Color coding indicates a needle's

gauge

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

Donating their own blood for their own use

Blood smears made from EDTA specimens must be prepared within ____ hour of collection.

one

Proper identification of a coherent adult inpatient includes

ask the patient their name and check the identification band that is physically attached to the patient.

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

a. Sanitize hands and put on gloves. (Correct)

b. Clean and air-dry the puncture site.

c. Select the puncture/incision site.

d. Warm the puncture/incision site.

To prevent glycolysis, which additive is used?

Sodium Flouride

Partial penetration of the upper wall of a vein may

allow blood to leak into subcutaneous tissue by way of the needle bevel

Older patients are more prone to hematoma formation because

their veins have decreased elasticity

A phlebotomist most likely not use a butterfly for which of the following patients?

a. An elderly patient with thin skin

b. A wiggling child

c. A patient with resilient and bouncy veins (Correct)

d. A patient with small, thin veins

Preanalytical errors are mistakes made when?

before laboratory testing.

is placing a gauze pad over the venipuncture site and holding pressure for 5 to 15 minutes the correct procedure to stop bleeding?

yes

The most common antiseptic for routine blood collection is

70% isopropyl alcohol

The phlebotomist has a patient who has no known allergies and in preparing the venipuncture site the phlebotomist uses iodine to clean the site. Is this the best antiseptic to use and the most commonly used anticeptic used to prepare a routine venipuncture site on a patient with no known allergies?

No, the phlebotomist should use 70% isopropyl alcohol.

The main reason not to use expired evacuated tubes for blood specimen collection is

they may exhibit incomplete filling.

When blood is inoculated into blood culture bottles using a butterfly apparatus the is aerobic or the anaerobic bottle to be filled first?

aerobic bottle in inoculated first.

You have to draw a 7 year old child for some blood work, what would be the best approach you should use when it is a child getting blood drawn?

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

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

red top

When a patient states that he or she has a needle phobia, the phlebotomist should

Have patient lay down during procedure

It is mandatory the patients phone number is on a label of a blood specimen collected for blood transfusion testing?

False

Apply firm pressure to the site of an arterial blood draw for how long

3-5 minutes

NPO status of the patient and time of last meal is required to be on the label of a blood bank specimen

False

Having patient bend elbow to apply pressure can cause

hematoma formation

which anticoagulants is found in a green-topped blood collection vacuum tube?

sodium/lithium heparin

A skin puncture is preferred over a venipuncture when the patient

has severe burns.

What antiseptic should the phlebotomy technician use to collect a blood culture?

Chlorhexidine gluconate

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 first before the gauze pad is place over the puncture site

A basal-state specimen, used to establish reference ranges for inpatients, is best collected

early in the morning, after fasting for 12 hours

If a vein feels hard and thready like when palpated, then this vein may be

sclerosed

A blood sample is needed from a dialysis patient is it acceptable to draw from the hand vein

yes

a hematoma, and arm with and IV and an arm with a fistula are all areas where...

blood should not be collected

By bracing the hand while holding the needle assembly against the patients arm you prevent

excess needle movement

What instrument may be used when trying to visualize the veins during venipuncture?

Venoscope

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

Lipemic

After the last tube is filled, which of the following is done next?

Filled tube is removed from the holder

Serum tube, heparin tube, EDTA tube proper draw sequence?

Yes

The phlebotomist would collect a blood sample in a tube containing the anticoagulant sodium citrate (which inhibits glycolysis) for which type of laboratory test?

Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)

The anticoagulant heparin is used in tubes with tops of what color?

Green

Which of the following conditions would be most likely cause hemoconcentration?

Dehydration

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

Yellow

Specimens are scheduled for collection at specific times for different reasons. Which of the following is most likely not a factor?

a. Measuring the body's metabolism of the test substance

b. The substance exhibits diurnal variation Incorrect

c. Patients must be tested 2 hours before meals

d. To determine blood levels of medications prior to next dose

C

The phlebotomist has prepared the patient's arm and found the basilic vein. Has the phlebotomist selected the preferred vein site for venipuncture?

No, the medial cubital vein is preferred

If additive contamination occurred from an EDTA evacuated tube, what test would potentially be affected?

Potassium levels

Which of the following would be the very first step in performing a routine venipuncture on a patient?

a. Identify the patient Incorrect

b. Identify yourself

c. Explain the procedure

d. Apply the tourniquet

B

What color evacuated tube would be commonly used for coagulation testing?

Light blue

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

a. Removing the tourniquet before removing the needle.

b. Filling the evacuated tube only half full.

c. Removing the needle while the tourniquet is still on the arm. Correct

d. Applying too much pressure on a puncture site

C

The color-coded tube that is most frequently associated with hematological tests is

Lavendar

A fully-stocked phlebotomy tray readily accessible to the phlebotomy technician while performing venipuncture should include which of the following?

a. Needles of various sizes

b. Needle holder/adapter

c. Evacuated blood collection tubes

d. All of the above

D

To avoid contamination when should the needle cap be removed?

Just prior to performing the puncture

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 of primary importance in preventing rolling veins during venipuncture?

a. Tightly apply tourniquet

b. Selecting median cubital vein

c. Using 23 gauge needle

d. Anchoring the vein while inserting the needle.

D

A falsely decreased blood alcohol level may be obtained if

The tube is only partially filled

An anticoagulant is used when collecting a sample for a blood glucose test because its ability to inhibit glycolysis. What colored stopper would be found on an evacuated blood collection tube used for this purpose

Gray

The term calcaneus refers to

the heel bone in the foot

The phlebotomist has to prepare a blood smear for a leukocyte alkaline phosphatase (LAP). What is the correct procedure?

Select one:

a. Perform the skin puncture and touch the slide to first drop of blood

b. Perform the skin puncture and smear the slide with the first drop of blood

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

d. Perform the skin puncture, wipe the first drop and then get a large drop and place in center of slide and place a cover slip over the drop

C

what is the best technique to employ if blood is not obtained upon needle insertion?

Gently advance the needle or gently pull back slightly

A postprandial specimen is collected

Directly after a meal is consumed

pneumatic tube is used when

transporting patient specimens to the hospital laboratory

Urrinary tract infections are the most prevalent __________ infections

nosocomial

A quality fasting urine specimen is collected

8 hours after eating

Testing for human chorionic gonadotropin assesses the status of

pregnancy in women

A specimen that requires chilling for transport to the lab should be placed in

a container immersed in a slurry of crushed ice and water.

Catheterization is performed for what reason?

To obtain a sterile urine specimen and to relieve urinary retention

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

Time of collection

What is proper collection of a sputum specimen

Mucus is coughed up from deep in the lung and expel sputum into a sterile cup

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

require the patient to lie down during the venipuncture

A pregnant patient who tells you that she is having pain during urination or in the kidney area may be experiencing

urinary infection or kidney stones

A sweat sample collected by forearm stimulation with the use of pilocarpine nitrate is a process known as

iontophoresis

Blood specimens that need to be shipped off-site by mail systems must be packaged in accordance with the

FAA & DOT

What amount of residual urine is considered abnormal

70 cc

a minimum of _____ of a sputum specimen is needed for an acid-fast bacillus (AFB) test?

3-5mL

Arterial blood collected in a plastic syringe for arterial blood gas (ABG) testing that may be delayed in testing should be transported to the laboratory:

In an ice slurry

Which of the following are associated with the procedure during which a sterile plastic tube is inserted to provide urinary drainage?

Catheterization