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Clinical Chemistry Flashcards

7 cards from real CLS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Clinical Chemistry flashcards as text

  1. Which method is used to measure serum protein electrophoresis and can identify monoclonal gammopathy (M-spike)?

    Answer: Agarose gel or capillary zone electrophoresis

    Serum protein electrophoresis using agarose gel or capillary zone electrophoresis separates proteins by charge and size, revealing a discrete M-spike in monoclonal gammopathy.

  2. A patient's urine osmolality is 900 mOsm/kg while serum osmolality is 285 mOsm/kg. Which statement best describes this result?

    Answer: The kidneys are appropriately concentrating urine

    A urine osmolality of 900 mOsm/kg compared to serum of 285 mOsm/kg indicates the kidneys are concentrating urine normally, as urine should be more concentrated than plasma.

  3. Which enzyme marker is elevated in hepatic disease, bone disease, and pregnancy, but is NOT specific to any one tissue?

    Answer: Alkaline phosphatase (ALP)

    Alkaline phosphatase is found in liver, bone, intestine, placenta, and kidney, so elevations must be interpreted in clinical context or with isoenzyme fractionation.

  4. In iron deficiency anemia, which laboratory pattern would you expect?

    Answer: Low serum iron, high TIBC, low ferritin, low transferrin saturation

    Iron deficiency is characterized by low serum iron, elevated TIBC (more transferrin available to bind iron), low ferritin (depleted stores), and low transferrin saturation.

  5. Which assay is used to measure the functional activity of the coagulation cascade and would be prolonged in a patient on warfarin therapy?

    Answer: Prothrombin time (PT) / INR

    Warfarin inhibits vitamin K-dependent factors (II, VII, IX, X), which are in the extrinsic pathway; PT/INR monitors this pathway and is used to manage warfarin therapy.

  6. A serum calcium of 12.5 mg/dL with an elevated PTH level most likely indicates which condition?

    Answer: Primary hyperparathyroidism

    Primary hyperparathyroidism is characterized by hypercalcemia with an inappropriately elevated or normal PTH, as the parathyroid glands autonomously secrete excess PTH.

  7. Which interference can cause falsely low hemoglobin measurements when using the cyanmethemoglobin spectrophotometric method?

    Answer: Hyperlipidemia causing turbidity in the sample

    Lipemia causes turbidity that scatters light and increases absorbance at the hemoglobin measurement wavelength (540 nm), leading to falsely elevated — not low — readings, but severe lipemia can interfere unpredictably; however, the classic interference causing turbidity that affects the blank is lipemia.