Certified Phlebotomy Technician Exam Phlebotomy Fundamentals 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which personal protective equipment (PPE) is ALWAYS required during venipuncture?
- Sterile gown and face shield
- Gloves only
- Gloves and mask at minimum
- Gloves as the minimum required PPE (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Gloves as the minimum required PPE
OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogen Standard mandates gloves as the minimum PPE whenever there is potential exposure to blood.
Question 2: What is the correct response when a needle accidentally punctures the phlebotomist's skin?
- Apply a bandage and continue working
- Immediately wash the site, report to a supervisor, and follow exposure protocol (Correct answer)
- Apply antiseptic and monitor for symptoms at home
- Stop working for the day without reporting
Correct answer: Immediately wash the site, report to a supervisor, and follow exposure protocol
Needlestick protocol requires immediate washing, incident reporting, and follow-up per the facility's exposure control plan.
Question 3: What does 'basal state' mean in the context of specimen collection timing?
- The patient is asleep during collection
- The patient is in a resting metabolic state after 12 hours of fasting (Correct answer)
- The patient has avoided medications for 48 hours
- The patient's blood pressure is at its lowest point
Correct answer: The patient is in a resting metabolic state after 12 hours of fasting
Basal state is achieved after 12 hours of fasting and minimal physical activity, providing a reference baseline for lab values.
Question 4: Which of the following BEST prevents pre-analytical errors related to specimen labeling?
- Labeling tubes at the nursing station before entering the patient's room
- Labeling tubes immediately after collection at the patient's bedside (Correct answer)
- Having a colleague label tubes while the phlebotomist draws blood
- Pre-printing labels the day before the draw
Correct answer: Labeling tubes immediately after collection at the patient's bedside
Labeling at the bedside immediately after collection, while confirming patient identity, is the only way to ensure specimen-patient match.
Question 5: A phlebotomist notices a hematoma forming during venipuncture. What is the correct action?
- Redirect the needle to find a better position
- Remove the needle, apply firm pressure, and document the incident (Correct answer)
- Apply the tourniquet more tightly to stop the bleeding
- Aspirate the hematoma with the syringe
Correct answer: Remove the needle, apply firm pressure, and document the incident
A forming hematoma indicates blood is leaking into surrounding tissue; the needle must be removed and pressure applied to minimize injury.
Question 6: What is the purpose of the clot activator found in gold or red SST tubes?
- To prevent blood from clotting
- To accelerate clot formation for serum collection (Correct answer)
- To preserve cellular morphology
- To chelate heavy metals in the specimen
Correct answer: To accelerate clot formation for serum collection
Clot activators like silica particles trigger faster clot formation so serum can be obtained after centrifugation more efficiently.
Question 7: Which technique is used to anchor a vein during venipuncture to prevent it from rolling?
- Pressing firmly on the vein with the needle bevel
- Applying the tourniquet directly over the insertion site
- Using the thumb of the non-dominant hand to apply downward traction below the site (Correct answer)
- Pinching the skin around the vein tightly
Correct answer: Using the thumb of the non-dominant hand to apply downward traction below the site
Anchoring the vein by stretching the skin taut below the puncture site keeps the vein stable and reduces the chance of it rolling.
Certified Phlebotomy Technician Exam Phlebotomy Fundamentals 4
Which personal protective equipment (PPE) is ALWAYS required during venipuncture?