ASCP ASCP Venipuncture Complications and Special Procedures 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: For a two-hour oral glucose tolerance test (GTT), specimens are collected:
- Only in the fasting state
- At fasting baseline and at timed intervals after glucose ingestion (Correct answer)
- Randomly at any point during the day
- Only once, exactly two hours after a standard meal
Correct answer: At fasting baseline and at timed intervals after glucose ingestion
A GTT requires a fasting baseline specimen followed by timed collections (typically at 1 and 2 hours) after the patient drinks the glucose solution.
Question 2: Which specimen collection method is used for newborn screening (e.g., PKU testing)?
- Antecubital venipuncture
- Heel stick capillary collection onto filter paper (Correct answer)
- Arterial puncture from the radial artery
- Umbilical venous catheter sampling
Correct answer: Heel stick capillary collection onto filter paper
Heel stick capillary collection onto filter paper cards is used for newborn screening because neonatal veins are too small for safe venipuncture.
Question 3: A therapeutic drug monitoring specimen should be collected:
- Immediately after the drug is administered
- At the peak or trough level as specified by the physician's order (Correct answer)
- At any convenient time during the dosing interval
- Only before the very first dose is given
Correct answer: At the peak or trough level as specified by the physician's order
Drug monitoring requires collection at the prescribed time (peak or trough) because reference ranges are time-dependent.
Question 4: The recommended minimum number of blood culture sets collected from separate venipuncture sites is:
- One set from one site
- Two sets from two separate venipuncture sites (Correct answer)
- A single aerobic bottle from one site
- Three sets from the same site drawn in succession
Correct answer: Two sets from two separate venipuncture sites
Collecting two sets from two different sites reduces false positives from skin contamination and increases pathogen detection sensitivity.
Question 5: When collecting a urine specimen for culture from a patient with an indwelling urinary catheter, the specimen should be obtained by:
- Collecting from the drainage bag
- Aspirating directly from the catheter sampling port using a sterile syringe (Correct answer)
- Removing the catheter and catching midstream urine
- Collecting from a clean bedpan
Correct answer: Aspirating directly from the catheter sampling port using a sterile syringe
Catheter port aspiration with a sterile syringe provides an uncontaminated specimen, while drainage bags harbor bacterial overgrowth over time.
Question 6: A two-hour postprandial glucose specimen should be collected exactly:
- Two hours after the patient's last fast began
- Two hours after the patient begins eating their meal (Correct answer)
- Two hours after the patient wakes up in the morning
- Any time during the afternoon hours
Correct answer: Two hours after the patient begins eating their meal
A postprandial glucose is timed from the start of the meal, not from when the patient finishes eating, to assess glucose metabolism accurately.
ASCP ASCP Venipuncture Complications and Special Procedures 2
For a two-hour oral glucose tolerance test (GTT), specimens are collected: