Certified Phlebotomy Technician Exam Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) MCQ 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which specimen is preferred for point-of-care glucose testing using a glucometer?
- Serum from a red-top tube
- Plasma from a green-top tube
- Whole capillary blood (Correct answer)
- Urine
Correct answer: Whole capillary blood
Point-of-care glucometers are designed to analyze whole capillary blood obtained from a fingerstick or heelstick.
Question 2: What does CLSI (Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute) recommend as the correct number of times to invert an EDTA tube after collection?
- 1–2 times
- 3–4 times
- 8–10 times (Correct answer)
- 15–20 times
Correct answer: 8–10 times
CLSI recommends gently inverting EDTA (lavender-top) tubes 8–10 times to ensure complete mixing of the anticoagulant with the blood.
Question 3: A phlebotomist accidentally sustains a needlestick injury. What is the FIRST immediate action?
- Report the incident to the supervisor
- Squeeze blood from the wound and wash with soap and water (Correct answer)
- Apply an antiseptic bandage and complete an incident report
- Immediately draw blood from the source patient
Correct answer: Squeeze blood from the wound and wash with soap and water
The first step after a needlestick is to immediately wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water; reporting and follow-up testing come after first aid.
Question 4: Which of the following conditions would cause a specimen to be rejected for hemolysis?
- Drawing from a site distal to an IV
- Using a 22-gauge needle with gentle technique
- Vigorously mixing the tube after collection (Correct answer)
- Allowing the tube to fill completely via vacuum
Correct answer: Vigorously mixing the tube after collection
Vigorous mixing of a blood tube ruptures red blood cells, causing hemolysis, which interferes with potassium, LDH, and numerous other analyte measurements.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of performing a two-patient-identifier check before phlebotomy?
- To verify the phlebotomist's credentials
- To ensure the specimen is collected from the correct patient (Correct answer)
- To confirm the patient's insurance information
- To document the type of test being ordered
Correct answer: To ensure the specimen is collected from the correct patient
Two-patient-identifier verification (e.g., name and date of birth or ID number) is a critical safety step to prevent specimen mislabeling and wrong-patient errors.
Question 6: A light-sensitive analyte such as bilirubin requires which special specimen handling?
- Place in a warm water bath immediately
- Wrap the tube in foil or use an amber tube to protect from light (Correct answer)
- Centrifuge at high speed within 5 minutes
- Add a preservative tablet before transport
Correct answer: Wrap the tube in foil or use an amber tube to protect from light
Bilirubin degrades rapidly when exposed to light, so specimens must be protected by wrapping in foil or using an amber-colored transport tube.
Question 7: Which of the following sites is CONTRAINDICATED for venipuncture due to risk of infection and inaccurate results?
- Median cubital vein of the non-dominant arm
- Dorsal hand veins when antecubital sites are unavailable
- Arm on the same side as a mastectomy (Correct answer)
- Antecubital vein on the arm without an IV
Correct answer: Arm on the same side as a mastectomy
Venipuncture should never be performed on the same side as a mastectomy because lymph node removal impairs drainage, increasing infection risk and causing false test results.
Certified Phlebotomy Technician Exam Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) MCQ 4
Which specimen is preferred for point-of-care glucose testing using a glucometer?