Certified Phlebotomy Technician Exam Patient Preparation and Identification 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient taking diuretics has been asked to collect a 24-hour urine specimen. What instruction is most important?
- Discontinue the diuretic for 24 hours before collection
- Discard the first morning void, then collect all urine for the next 24 hours (Correct answer)
- Collect only the first morning void and refrigerate
- Collect all urine beginning at midnight
Correct answer: Discard the first morning void, then collect all urine for the next 24 hours
The standard 24-hour urine protocol begins with discarding the first morning void and collecting all subsequent urine through and including the next morning's first void.
Question 2: Which pre-analytical variable is most likely to affect potassium (K+) results if not controlled?
- Patient's hydration status
- Prolonged tourniquet application causing hemolysis (Correct answer)
- Patient's body mass index
- Time of day of collection
Correct answer: Prolonged tourniquet application causing hemolysis
Prolonged tourniquet use can cause hemolysis, releasing intracellular potassium and falsely elevating serum K+ levels.
Question 3: When collecting a specimen from a minor under 18, whose consent is typically required before the procedure?
- The minor's consent if they are over age 12
- A parent or legal guardian, unless the minor is legally emancipated (Correct answer)
- The ordering physician, who assumes consent responsibility
- Consent is implied for all minors in a clinical setting
Correct answer: A parent or legal guardian, unless the minor is legally emancipated
Minors generally cannot provide their own medical consent; a parent or legal guardian must authorize the procedure unless the minor is legally emancipated.
Question 4: A patient has an IV infusing in the left antecubital vein. Where should the phlebotomist draw?
- Below the IV site in the same arm
- The right arm or another site distal to the IV (Correct answer)
- Turn off the IV for 5 minutes, then draw above the IV site
- Draw from the left arm after flushing the IV with saline
Correct answer: The right arm or another site distal to the IV
Drawing from a site ipsilateral to or below an IV infusion risks specimen dilution; the contralateral arm or a distal alternative site is preferred.
Question 5: A phlebotomist collects blood from a patient who later reports the phlebotomist never confirmed their identity. This is an example of:
- An analytical error
- A post-analytical error
- A pre-analytical error (Correct answer)
- A clerical transcription error
Correct answer: A pre-analytical error
Failure to verify patient identity before collection is a pre-analytical error that can result in wrong-patient specimen labeling.
Question 6: A patient who is blind cannot read their ID wristband. How should the phlebotomist verify identity?
- Ask the patient to verbally state their full name and date of birth and confirm against the wristband (Correct answer)
- Have a nurse read the wristband aloud to the patient for confirmation
- Use the room number and requisition as the sole identifiers
- Photograph the patient for visual verification in the record
Correct answer: Ask the patient to verbally state their full name and date of birth and confirm against the wristband
The patient can verbally state their identifiers while the phlebotomist visually confirms the wristband independently, fulfilling the two-identifier requirement.
Question 7: Which action should be taken if a patient experiences nausea immediately before venipuncture?
- Proceed quickly to minimize discomfort duration
- Have the patient lie down, apply a cool cloth, and postpone the draw until they recover (Correct answer)
- Collect only the highest-priority tubes and stop
- Administer oral fluids to stabilize the patient before drawing
Correct answer: Have the patient lie down, apply a cool cloth, and postpone the draw until they recover
Nausea can be a vasovagal prodrome; the patient should be positioned safely and the draw delayed until they are stable.
Certified Phlebotomy Technician Exam Patient Preparation and Identification 5
A patient taking diuretics has been asked to collect a 24-hour urine specimen.
What instruction is most important?