ASCP ASCP Patient Identification and Specimen Labeling 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When should specimen labels be applied to collection tubes?
- Before entering the patient's room
- Immediately after collection at the bedside in the patient's presence (Correct answer)
- After returning to the laboratory
- When test results are finalized
Correct answer: Immediately after collection at the bedside in the patient's presence
Tubes must be labeled immediately after collection at the bedside in the patient's presence to prevent mislabeling errors.
Question 2: Which information is NOT required on a specimen label?
- Patient's full name
- Phlebotomist's initials
- Patient's insurance number (Correct answer)
- Date and time of collection
Correct answer: Patient's insurance number
Required label information includes patient name, ID number, date/time, and collector's initials — insurance number is not required.
Question 3: Pre-labeled tubes prepared before entering a patient's room are considered:
- Acceptable if the patient is well known to staff
- Acceptable for routine daily draws
- A patient safety violation (Correct answer)
- Required by CLSI for efficiency
Correct answer: A patient safety violation
Pre-labeling tubes is a patient safety violation because they could be applied to the wrong patient during a mix-up.
Question 4: If a label separates from a specimen tube during transport, the correct action is to:
- Re-label from memory and process the specimen
- Discard the specimen and collect a new one (Correct answer)
- Contact the lab to assign a temporary number
- Attach a new blank label and note the incident
Correct answer: Discard the specimen and collect a new one
A specimen without a label cannot be positively identified and must be discarded; a new specimen must be collected.
Question 5: The time of collection on a specimen label is MOST critical for which type of test?
- Complete blood count
- Routine urinalysis
- Timed specimens such as cortisol or therapeutic drug levels (Correct answer)
- Basic metabolic panel
Correct answer: Timed specimens such as cortisol or therapeutic drug levels
Timed specimens require accurate collection times because results are interpreted based on when the sample was drawn.
Question 6: Where should a label be placed on a blood culture bottle?
- Over the manufacturer's barcode for security
- On the bottom of the bottle
- On the side of the bottle without covering the manufacturer's barcode (Correct answer)
- Only on the aerobic bottle in a set
Correct answer: On the side of the bottle without covering the manufacturer's barcode
Labels must be placed on the side without covering the manufacturer's barcode so that automated scanners can still read the bottle.
ASCP ASCP Patient Identification and Specimen Labeling 2
When should specimen labels be applied to collection tubes?