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Laboratory Techniques and Diagnostic Procedures Flashcards

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

Read the first 7 Laboratory Techniques and Diagnostic Procedures flashcards as text

  1. Which anticoagulant is used in a purple-top (EDTA) tube and works by chelating calcium?

    Answer: EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid)

    EDTA chelates (binds) calcium ions, preventing the coagulation cascade from activating, making purple-top tubes ideal for CBCs.

  2. When performing a urine specific gravity measurement with a refractometer, what solution is used to calibrate the instrument?

    Answer: Distilled water

    Distilled water reads 1.000 on a refractometer, making it the correct calibration standard for urine specific gravity.

  3. A fecal flotation uses a solution with a specific gravity higher than parasite eggs to do what?

    Answer: Cause eggs to float to the surface for collection

    High specific gravity flotation solutions are denser than parasite eggs, causing the eggs to rise and concentrate at the liquid surface under a coverslip.

  4. Which cell type, elevated in a CBC differential, is most commonly associated with allergic reactions and parasitic infections?

    Answer: Eosinophils

    Eosinophilia is classically linked to hypersensitivity (allergic) responses and parasitic infestations.

  5. What is the correct order of layers from top to bottom after centrifuging a hematocrit tube?

    Answer: Plasma, buffy coat, packed red blood cells

    After centrifugation, plasma (least dense) sits on top, the buffy coat (WBCs/platelets) is in the middle, and packed RBCs (most dense) are at the bottom.

  6. A vaginal cytology smear showing primarily anuclear squamous (cornified) epithelial cells indicates which stage of the canine estrous cycle?

    Answer: Estrus

    During estrus, high estrogen levels cause maximal cornification of vaginal epithelium, producing >90% anuclear squamous cells on cytology.

  7. Which quality control step should be performed before running patient samples on a chemistry analyzer?

    Answer: Running high and low control sera to verify calibration

    Running high and low control sera verifies that the analyzer is calibrated correctly and results are within acceptable ranges before patient testing.