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Laboratory Procedures Flashcards

7 cards from real CCMA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Laboratory Procedures flashcards as text

  1. Which additive is found in a light blue (sodium citrate) tube and is used for coagulation studies?

    Answer: Sodium citrate

    Light blue top tubes contain sodium citrate, which chelates calcium to prevent clotting and is the required anticoagulant for PT, PTT, and INR testing.

  2. A patient's urine dipstick shows a positive result for nitrites. This finding is MOST suggestive of:

    Answer: Gram-negative bacterial infection

    Nitrites on a urine dipstick indicate that bacteria (typically gram-negative) have converted urinary nitrates to nitrites, suggesting a urinary tract infection.

  3. When performing a capillary puncture on an infant, which site is preferred?

    Answer: Heel (plantar surface)

    The plantar surface of the heel is the recommended site for infant capillary blood collection to avoid injuring bones and nerves in the fingers.

  4. Which staining method is used to visualize the presence of acid-fast organisms such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis?

    Answer: Ziehl-Neelsen stain

    The Ziehl-Neelsen (acid-fast) stain uses carbol fuchsin that binds to mycolic acid in the cell walls of acid-fast bacteria like Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

  5. A complete blood count (CBC) result shows an elevated WBC with a left shift. This MOST likely indicates:

    Answer: Bacterial infection with increased immature neutrophils

    A left shift means increased bands (immature neutrophils) are released into circulation, which is a classic response to acute bacterial infection.

  6. Which quality control action should be taken if a control result falls outside the established range?

    Answer: Repeat the control and if still out-of-range, do not report patient results until resolved

    When a QC result is out of range, the run should be repeated; if still out of range, patient results must be held and the problem investigated before reporting.

  7. The correct angle for inserting a needle during venipuncture is:

    Answer: 15–30 degrees

    A needle angle of 15–30 degrees (bevel up) is recommended for venipuncture to allow smooth entry into the vein without going through the opposite wall.