Specimen Handling and Processing Flashcards
7 cards from real ASPT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Specimen Handling and Processing flashcards as text
What is the correct order of draw when collecting multiple tubes during a single venipuncture using evacuated tubes?
Answer: Citrate, serum/SST, heparin, EDTA
The CLSI-recommended order is: blood cultures, citrate (blue), serum/SST (gold/red), heparin (green), EDTA (lavender), then other tubes.
A 24-hour urine collection requires hydrochloric acid (HCl) as a preservative. What safety precaution must be followed?
Answer: Instruct the patient that acid is pre-added to the container
Acid preservatives are added to the container before the patient begins collection, and patients must be warned about the hazard of the chemical in their collection container.
Which of the following best describes 'hemolysis' in a blood specimen?
Answer: Rupture of red blood cells releasing intracellular contents into plasma
Hemolysis occurs when red blood cell membranes rupture, releasing intracellular contents like potassium and hemoglobin into the surrounding plasma.
What is the minimum volume of blood typically required to fill a blood culture bottle adequately?
Answer: 8–10 mL
Standard blood culture bottles require 8–10 mL of blood per bottle to achieve the blood-to-broth ratio necessary for optimal organism recovery.
When aliquoting a specimen, what is the most critical step to prevent specimen mix-up?
Answer: Label all aliquot tubes before transferring specimen
All aliquot tubes must be labeled with patient information before any specimen is transferred to prevent misidentification errors.
Which of the following specimens requires immediate chilling in an ice slurry after collection?
Answer: Arterial blood gas (ABG)
ABG specimens must be chilled immediately in ice slurry to halt cellular metabolism and preserve the accurate measurement of blood gas values.
What does a hemolysis index reported by the laboratory analyzer indicate to the phlebotomist?
Answer: The degree of red blood cell lysis in the specimen
The hemolysis index quantifies free hemoglobin in the specimen, reflecting the degree of red blood cell rupture that occurred during or after collection.