CCMA Laboratory Procedures 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is considered a CLIA-waived test that a CCMA may perform?
- Blood culture sensitivity
- Complete blood count (CBC) with differential
- Urine dipstick urinalysis (Correct answer)
- Prothrombin time (PT)
Correct answer: Urine dipstick urinalysis
Urine dipstick urinalysis is classified as a CLIA-waived test, meaning it carries low risk of error and can be performed by a trained CCMA without a laboratory director on-site.
Question 2: When collecting a midstream clean-catch urine specimen, which instruction should the medical assistant give the patient?
- Begin urinating into the container immediately
- Clean the urethral area, void a small amount into the toilet, then collect midstream into the container (Correct answer)
- Collect the first morning specimen without cleaning
- Use a sterile catheter to collect the sample
Correct answer: Clean the urethral area, void a small amount into the toilet, then collect midstream into the container
A midstream clean-catch specimen requires cleaning the urethral meatus first, voiding the initial stream to flush contaminants, then collecting the midstream urine to reduce bacterial contamination.
Question 3: A urine specific gravity of 1.030 would indicate:
- Dilute urine with excess water intake
- Highly concentrated urine (Correct answer)
- Normal specific gravity
- The presence of glucose in the urine
Correct answer: Highly concentrated urine
Normal urine specific gravity ranges from 1.005 to 1.030; a reading of 1.030 indicates highly concentrated urine, often seen with dehydration or fluid restriction.
Question 4: What color change on a urine dipstick indicates the presence of blood (hematuria)?
- Yellow to orange
- Green to blue
- Tan to pink or dark green (Correct answer)
- White to purple
Correct answer: Tan to pink or dark green
The blood pad on a urine dipstick turns from tan to pink or dark green in the presence of hemoglobin or myoglobin, indicating hematuria or hemoglobinuria.
Question 5: Which preservative is most commonly added to a 24-hour urine collection to prevent bacterial growth?
- Sodium chloride
- Hydrochloric acid (HCl) (Correct answer)
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Sodium bicarbonate
Correct answer: Hydrochloric acid (HCl)
Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is commonly used as a preservative in 24-hour urine collections to inhibit bacterial growth and preserve certain analytes such as catecholamines.
Question 6: A point-of-care blood glucose result of 52 mg/dL would indicate:
- Hyperglycemia
- Normal fasting glucose
- Hypoglycemia (Correct answer)
- Diabetes mellitus
Correct answer: Hypoglycemia
A blood glucose level of 52 mg/dL is below the normal fasting range of 70–99 mg/dL, indicating hypoglycemia, which requires immediate clinical intervention.
Question 7: Which of the following is the correct order of steps when performing a urine dipstick test?
- Read immediately, dip strip, compare to chart
- Dip strip in urine, remove and blot edge, wait required time, compare to color chart (Correct answer)
- Shake the specimen, dip strip, read at 60 seconds only
- Centrifuge urine first, then dip the strip
Correct answer: Dip strip in urine, remove and blot edge, wait required time, compare to color chart
The correct procedure is to dip the strip, remove and blot the edge to prevent color mixing, wait the time specified by the manufacturer, then compare results to the color chart.
CCMA Laboratory Procedures 1
Which of the following is considered a CLIA-waived test that a CCMA may perform?