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Laboratory Techniques & 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 & Diagnostic Procedures flashcards as text

  1. Which of the following is a common zoonotic parasite that can be detected on fecal examination in veterinary patients?

    Answer: Toxocara canis (roundworm)

    Toxocara canis eggs shed in dog feces can infect humans, causing visceral or ocular larva migrans, making it an important zoonotic concern.

  2. What is the significance of finding white blood cell casts in urine sediment?

    Answer: Indicates active pyelonephritis (kidney infection)

    WBC casts form in the renal tubules and indicate inflammation or infection within the kidney itself (pyelonephritis), not just the lower urinary tract.

  3. When using an in-house chemistry analyzer, a hemolyzed sample may falsely affect which value?

    Answer: Potassium (K+), causing a falsely elevated result

    Red blood cells contain high concentrations of potassium; hemolysis releases intracellular K+ into the sample, falsely elevating the measured potassium level.

  4. A Schirmer tear test (STT) result of 6 mm/min in a dog is most consistent with:

    Answer: Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eye)

    Normal STT values in dogs are ≥15 mm/min; a result of 6 mm/min indicates severely reduced tear production consistent with dry eye (KCS).

  5. Which technique is used to detect external parasites such as Sarcoptes scabiei mites?

    Answer: Superficial skin scraping

    Superficial skin scrapings over large areas of skin are used to detect Sarcoptes mites, which live in the superficial layers of the epidermis.

  6. What is the role of a control sample when running in-house diagnostic tests?

    Answer: To verify that the analyzer and reagents are performing accurately

    Running a known control sample alongside patient samples confirms the machine and reagents are functioning correctly and results are reliable.

  7. When performing an ear cytology, finding large numbers of Malassezia organisms most likely indicates:

    Answer: Yeast otitis

    Malassezia pachydermatis is a yeast commonly associated with otitis externa; large numbers on cytology indicate yeast-mediated ear infection.