Equipment Operation & Maintenance Flashcards
7 cards from real CSC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Equipment Operation & Maintenance flashcards as text
Which personal protective equipment (PPE) is required at minimum during routine venipuncture?
Answer: Gloves only
Gloves are the minimum required PPE for all phlebotomy procedures involving contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials.
What is the primary purpose of inverting blood collection tubes after collection?
Answer: To ensure proper mixing of blood with the tube's additive
Gentle inversion mixes the blood specimen with the tube additive (anticoagulant, clot activator, etc.) to ensure proper specimen quality.
A glucometer's quality control result falls outside the acceptable range. What is the correct action?
Answer: Do not use the glucometer for patient testing until the problem is identified and corrected
When QC results are out of range, patient testing must be suspended until the root cause is investigated and corrected to ensure accurate results.
Which of the following actions can contaminate a urine midstream clean-catch specimen?
Answer: Collecting the initial stream in the cup
The initial urine stream flushes urethral contaminants; collecting it in the cup introduces bacteria and cells that are not representative of the bladder specimen.
What is the function of the evacuated tube system's additive in a green-top (lithium heparin) tube?
Answer: Prevent clotting to yield plasma for testing
Lithium heparin inhibits thrombin and other clotting factors, preventing coagulation so that plasma can be obtained by centrifugation.
How should a used needle and tube holder be disposed of after evacuated tube collection?
Answer: Place the entire assembly—needle and holder—directly into the sharps container
The needle and holder are discarded as a single unit into the sharps container; separating them creates unnecessary needlestick risk.
Which tube additive is found in a gray-top tube and why is it used?
Answer: Sodium fluoride and potassium oxalate, to inhibit glycolysis and preserve glucose levels
Gray-top tubes contain sodium fluoride (glycolysis inhibitor) and potassium oxalate (anticoagulant), maintaining stable glucose concentrations in the specimen.