Medical Laboratory Assistant and Technician (MLA/T) Comprehensive Review

Comprehensive practice flashcards reviewing medical laboratory acronyms, test panels, venipuncture techniques, laboratory departments, biosafety cabinet operations, and clinical laboratory vocabulary.

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c / A1c)

A laboratory test that measures the percentage of glycated hemoglobin in red blood cells, reflecting a patient's average blood glucose control over the preceding two to three months.

Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (aPTT / APTT)

A coagulation test that evaluates the intrinsic and common pathways of the coagulation cascade, commonly utilized to monitor unfractionated heparin therapy.

Prothrombin Time (PT) and International Normalized Ratio (INR)

A coagulation assay and its standardized calculated ratio that evaluate the extrinsic and common pathways of hemostasis, routinely used to monitor oral warfarin therapy.

Direct Antiglobulin Test (DAT)

Also known as the Coombs test; an immunohematology procedure used to detect antibodies or complement fragments bound in vivo to the surface of red blood cells.

TORCH Panel

A specialized group of serological tests screening for congenital or perinatal infections: Toxoplasmosis, Other/Rubella, Cytomegalovirus, and Herpes simplex virus.

Total Iron-Binding Capacity (TIBC)

A clinical chemistry assay that measures the maximum amount of iron that transferrin in the blood can bind, used to assess iron metabolism, deficiency, and overload.

Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)

A clinical chemistry test that measures the concentration of urea nitrogen in the blood to assess renal excretory function and protein catabolism.

Troponin I (TnI)

A sensitive and specific cardiac biomarker protein released into circulation following myocardial injury, used in the diagnosis of myocardial infarction.

Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)

A non-specific hematological test measuring the distance in millimeters that red blood cells settle in an uncoagulated vertical tube over one hour, indicating systemic inflammation.

C-Reactive Protein (CRP)

An acute-phase reactant protein synthesized by the liver whose blood levels rise significantly in response to systemic inflammation, tissue injury, or infection.

Order of Draw

The specific sequence for collecting blood tubes during venipuncture designed to prevent cross-contamination of tube additives between vacutainers.

Additive Carryover

The inadvertent transfer of chemical additives or anticoagulants from one collection tube into a subsequent tube, typically caused by failing to follow the correct order of draw.

Median Cubital Vein

The superficial vein located in the antecubital fossa that serves as the first choice for routine venipuncture due to its large size, stability, and lower risk of nerve injury.

Cephalic Vein

The superficial vein located on the lateral (thumb) side of the antecubital fossa, considered the second choice for venipuncture.

Basilic Vein

A large superficial vein running along the medial (inner) side of the antecubital fossa, chosen last among main antecubital veins due to proximity to the brachial artery and median nerve.

Bevel

The angled, slanted opening at the tip of a venipuncture needle designed to enter the skin and blood vessel smoothly with minimal resistance.

Needle Gauge

The standardized numerical measurement of needle lumen diameter; higher gauge numbers indicate smaller outer and inner needle diameters.

Lumen

The internal hollow space or bore of a blood vessel, collection needle, or catheter through which blood or fluids flow.

Palpation

The tactile examination technique using the fingertips to determine the location, direction, depth, size, and elasticity of a vein prior to venipuncture.

Safety-Engineered Needle Activation

The immediate deployment of a needle's built-in shielding or blunting mechanism upon removal from the vein, executed prior to disposal in a sharps container without recapping.

Syncope

A transient loss of consciousness caused by acute cerebral hypoperfusion (fainting), requiring immediate cessation of phlebotomy, removal of the needle, and patient protection.

Hematoma

A localized swelling filled with blood beneath the skin caused by blood leaking from a breached vessel wall into the surrounding tissue during or following venipuncture.

Hemolysis

The breakdown or rupture of red blood cell membranes, releasing free hemoglobin into the plasma or serum and causing a pink to red discoloration that interferes with laboratory assays.

Hemoconcentration

An increase in the relative proportion of blood cells and non-filterable large molecules caused by a decrease in plasma volume, often induced by prolonged tourniquet application.

Lipemia

A cloudy, milky, or turbid appearance of serum or plasma resulting from abnormally high concentrations of lipids (primarily chylomicrons and triglycerides).

Icterus (Icteric Specimen)

An abnormal dark yellow-to-brownish discoloration of serum, plasma, or tissues caused by elevated bilirubin concentrations.

Plasma

The clear liquid portion of unclotted or anticoagulated blood consisting of water, electrolytes, nutrients, waste products, and clotting proteins including fibrinogen.

Serum

The liquid fraction of blood remaining after coagulation has completed, identical in composition to plasma except that it lacks fibrinogen and other consumed clotting factors.

Calcaneus

The heel bone of the foot, which serves as a critical anatomical boundary that must be avoided during infant heel punctures to prevent osteomyelitis.

Ecchymosis

A macular discoloration of the skin caused by blood extravasation into subcutaneous tissues, commonly known as a bruise.

Sclerosis

Hardening, thickening, and loss of elasticity of tissue or vein walls, often resulting from recurrent venipuncture or chronic inflammation.

Reflux

The hazardous retrograde flow of blood or chemical additive from a blood collection tube back into a patient's vein during phlebotomy.

Phlebitis

Inflammation of a vein wall, characterized clinically by local erythema, warmth, pain, swelling, and palpable cord formation.

EDTA (Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid)

An anticoagulant found in lavender-top tubes that prevents clotting by binding (chelating) ionized calcium, preserving cellular morphology for hematology tests.

Sodium Citrate

A reversible anticoagulant used in light blue-top tubes for coagulation testing and black-top tubes for ESR that binds calcium ions to prevent clot formation.

Sodium Fluoride / Potassium Oxalate

An additive formulation found in gray-top tubes where fluoride acts as an antiglycolytic enzyme inhibitor and oxalate acts as an anticoagulant.

Serum Separator Tube (SST)

A gold- or red/black-topped blood collection tube containing a clot activator and an inert polymer gel that creates a physical barrier between serum and the clot after centrifugation.

Pre-Analytical Phase

The initial stage of laboratory testing encompasses all steps prior to specimen analysis, including test requesting, patient preparation, venipuncture, transport, handling, and accessioning.

Analytical Phase

The stage of laboratory testing during which specimen testing and measurement of analytes are performed using automated analyzers or manual testing procedures.

Post-Analytical Phase

The final stage of laboratory testing that includes result verification, clinical reference evaluation, reporting, notification of critical values, and specimen archiving.

Accessioning

The formal laboratory process of receiving, verifying, documenting, labeling, and assigning a unique tracking accession number to a patient specimen before processing.

Critical Value

A laboratory test result that falls significantly outside established physiological parameters, indicating an immediate life-threatening danger that mandates urgent notification to the care provider.

Quantity Not Sufficient (QNS)

A standardized specimen rejection designation indicating that the sample volume submitted is inadequate to complete the requested laboratory tests.

Accuracy

The degree of conformity between a measured laboratory result or test value and the true or accepted reference value of the analyte.

Precision

The reproducibility and degree of agreement among independent laboratory test results obtained under identical conditions on the same specimen.

Quality Control (QC)

A systematic daily analytical process evaluating control materials with established values alongside patient specimens to ensure testing accuracy and precision before release.

Quality Assurance (QA)

A comprehensive, planned system of policies, evaluations, and process monitoring designed to guarantee that all clinical laboratory services consistently maintain high quality and clinical utility.

Proficiency Testing

An external quality assessment program in which unknown samples provided by an accredited third party are analyzed to evaluate an individual laboratory's testing performance compared to peer laboratories.

Chain of Custody

A legally binding, chronological documentation procedure recording every individual who collected, transported, handled, tested, and stored a specimen, typically required in forensic and drug testing.

Hematology Department

A clinical laboratory section focused on analyzing whole blood and cellular elements (red cells, white cells, platelets) to diagnose anemias, leukemias, and bone marrow disorders using lavender (EDTA) tubes.

Coagulation Department

A laboratory section evaluating hemostatic mechanisms and clotting factor pathways (via PT/INR, aPTT, fibrinogen, D-Dimer) using light blue-top sodium citrate tubes.

Transfusion / Blood Bank Department

A specialized laboratory department responsible for ABO/Rh blood grouping, antibody screening, crossmatching, and issuing compatible, safe blood products for transfusion.

Cytogenetics Department

A diagnostic laboratory department that evaluates chromosome number and morphology via karyotyping, FISH, and microarrays from sodium heparin blood, bone marrow, or amniotic fluid.

Molecular Diagnostics Department

A laboratory division that analyzes DNA and RNA using amplification techniques like PCR and RT-PCR to identify infectious organisms, oncological markers, and genetic mutations.

Microbiology Department

A diagnostic division responsible for culturing, isolating, and identifying pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses, and conducting antimicrobial susceptibility testing (C&S).

Clinical Chemistry Department

A high-volume laboratory section measuring dissolved chemical components in body fluids—including electrolytes, enzymes, glucose, renal markers, and lipids—primarily using SST, red, green (heparin), and gray tubes.

Toxicology Department

A laboratory section specializing in detecting and quantifying therapeutic drugs, drugs of abuse, ethanol, toxic chemicals, and heavy metals in blood, urine, or other tissues.

Urinalysis Department

A testing area dedicated to physical, chemical (dipstick), and microscopic examination of urine to detect renal disorders, urinary tract infections, and metabolic abnormalities.

Flow Cytometry Department

A laboratory department that utilizes fluidics, lasers, and fluorescent monoclonal antibodies to analyze, quantify, and phenotype cell populations, such as CD4/CD8 counts and leukemia/lymphoma panels.

Pathology and Histology Department

A laboratory department where tissues are examined grossly and prepared through fixation, processing, paraffin embedding, microtome sectioning, and staining for microscopic disease diagnosis.

Microtome

A precision mechanical cutting instrument used in histology to cut ultra-thin sections of paraffin-embedded tissue blocks for microscopic slide mounting.

Cryostat

A refrigerated histology instrument housing a microtome used to rapidly freeze, slice, and prepare unfixed tissue sections for intraoperative frozen-section diagnosis.

Formalin

A buffered aqueous solution of formaldehyde routinely used as a histological fixative to stabilize structural proteins and prevent tissue autolysis and putrefaction.

Point-of-Care Testing (POCT)

Diagnostic testing conducted immediately at or near the bedside of the patient using portable or handheld analytical devices to provide rapid turnaround for clinical decisions.

Parasitology Department

A clinical laboratory section focused on identifying protozoa and helminths in patient specimens through ova and parasite (O&P) microscopic examinations, serology, and molecular tests.

Class II Biological Safety Cabinet (BSC)

A ventilated containment enclosure offering personnel, product, and environmental protection with an open front, inward airflow, and HEPA-filtered recirculated and exhaust air, suitable for Risk Group 2 and 3 agents.

BSC Sash Work Height

The strictly calibrated vertical opening of the BSC sliding front window—set to an opening of exactly 10 inches—required to maintain aerodynamic laminar flow and containment barriers.

BSC Air Purge Cycle

The standard protocol requirement to run the biosafety cabinet blower with no activity for at least three minutes prior to work and three minutes before shutdown to eliminate airborne contaminants.

Centrifuge Restriction in BSC

The procedural safety prohibition against operating a centrifuge inside a biological safety cabinet because motor-generated turbulence and air currents disrupt laminar airflow containment.

Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)

Canada's national hazard communication standard that specifies requirements for container labels, worker education programs, and Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) for hazardous workplace chemicals.

Safety Data Sheet (SDS)

A standardized document outlining the specific chemical identity, physical hazards, toxicity, safe handling procedures, personal protection, and emergency disposal guidelines for a hazardous material.

Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA)

Ontario provincial legislation that establishes strict legal standards for the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of confidential personal health information across healthcare settings.

Type I Reagent Water

The highest purity grade of laboratory reagent water, stripped of minerals, organics, and microbial life, required for ultra-sensitive analytical procedures like atomic absorption and chromatography.

Aliquot

A measured, representative sub-volume of a clinical specimen partitioned into a secondary container for distribution to different laboratory testing sections or referral sites.

Crossmatch

A final pre-transfusion compatibility testing procedure mixing recipient serum with prospective donor red blood cells to detect clinically significant incompatibilities prior to administration.