FREE MLPAO Core Laboratory Procedures Questions and Answers

Question 1

A laboratory has received a request for a blood ammonia level. To ensure pre-analytical integrity, which of the following handling procedures is required immediately after collection?

Accepted Answer

Place the specimen in an ice slurry and transport it to the lab immediately.

Answer

Protect the specimen from light by wrapping it in foil.

Answer

Keep the specimen at body temperature (37°C) until testing.

Answer

Allow the specimen to clot fully at room temperature for 30 minutes before centrifugation.

Question 2

An MLA/T is creating an aliquot from a primary serum tube for send-out testing. According to CLSI standards, what is the minimum information that must be included on the label of the new aliquot tube?

Accepted Answer

At least two unique patient identifiers (e.g., full name and DOB).

Answer

Patient's last name and the test name.

Answer

The primary tube's accession number only.

Answer

Date of collection and the MLA/T's initials.

Question 3

A quality control check on a patient's hemoglobin result flags a 'delta check' failure, showing a result of 85 g/L today compared to 140 g/L yesterday. Which of the following is the MOST likely pre-analytical cause for this discrepancy?

Accepted Answer

The sample was drawn from an arm with a running IV infusion.

Answer

The patient's sample from today was hemolyzed during collection.

Answer

The patient was not fasting when the sample was collected.

Answer

The incorrect anticoagulant was used for the collection.

Question 4

An MLA/T is organizing the chemical storage cabinet. Which of the following represents an unsafe storage practice that must be corrected immediately?

Accepted Answer

Placing bottles of concentrated hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide on the same shelf.

Answer

Storing flammable liquids in a dedicated, approved flammables cabinet.

Answer

Segregating oxidizing agents from organic materials.

Answer

Keeping large, heavy bottles of reagents on the lowest shelf.

Question 5

Excessive centrifugation speed or time is most likely to cause mechanical hemolysis, leading to a falsely elevated result for which of the following analytes?

Accepted Answer

Potassium

Answer

Sodium

Answer

Glucose

Answer

Chloride

Question 6

An MLA/T is performing daily quality control (QC) on a point-of-care glucose meter. In addition to the daily requirement, in which of the following situations is it also mandatory to run QC?

Accepted Answer

When a new vial of test strips is opened.

Answer

Only when the battery is replaced.

Answer

After the device has been cleaned with a disinfectant wipe.

Answer

Only at the end of a work shift.