Quality Assurance and Laboratory Operations Flashcards
6 cards from real Certified Phlebotomy Technician Exam practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Quality Assurance and Laboratory Operations flashcards as text
What is the correct temperature range for storing most routine blood specimens awaiting transport?
Answer: Refrigerated at 2–8°C
Most routine specimens should be stored at 2–8°C to slow cellular metabolism and analyte degradation while awaiting transport or analysis.
Which of the following best describes 'chain of custody' in specimen collection?
Answer: A documented record of every person who handled a specimen from collection to disposal
Chain of custody is an unbroken documentation trail recording every individual who handled the specimen, required for forensic, legal, and drug testing specimens.
What is the most common cause of hemolysis during venipuncture?
Answer: Pulling back the syringe plunger too forcefully or transferring blood too quickly
Excessive mechanical force when aspirating with a syringe or transferring blood through a needle ruptures red blood cells and causes hemolysis.
Which of the following tests requires a whole blood specimen collected in an EDTA tube and must NOT be centrifuged?
Answer: Complete blood count (CBC)
A CBC requires intact whole blood with EDTA to count and differentiate blood cells; centrifuging would separate the cells and invalidate the test.
When collecting blood cultures, how should the venipuncture site be cleaned to reduce contamination?
Answer: With povidone-iodine or chlorhexidine gluconate using a concentric circle technique, then allowed to dry
Blood cultures require a two-step antiseptic prep (alcohol followed by chlorhexidine or iodine) using concentric circles and full drying to minimize false-positive contamination.
What does the abbreviation 'QC' stand for in laboratory practice, and why is it important?
Answer: Quality Control — to verify that test results are accurate and instruments are performing correctly
Quality Control (QC) involves running known-value control samples to verify instrument accuracy and detect errors before patient results are reported.