Histology Certification Quality Control and Quality Assurance

Question 1

What is the primary purpose of running a positive control slide in immunohistochemistry?

Accepted Answer

To confirm the antibody and detection system are functioning correctly

Answer

A positive control contains known antigen and confirms the antibody and detection system are working properly before patient results are reported.

Question 2

Which organization provides the accreditation checklist most widely used for histology laboratory quality standards in the United States?

Accepted Answer

College of American Pathologists (CAP)

Answer

CAP accreditation is the gold standard for histology labs in the US, with specific checklists covering all aspects of laboratory QC and safety.

Question 3

A Levey-Jennings chart is used in histology QC primarily to:

Accepted Answer

Track staining results over time to detect trends and shifts

Answer

Levey-Jennings charts plot QC data points over time, helping identify systematic trends, shifts, or random errors in staining performance.

Question 4

What does 'lot-to-lot verification' mean in histology quality control?

Accepted Answer

Testing new reagent batches against established performance criteria before routine use

Answer

Lot-to-lot verification ensures new reagent batches perform equivalently to previous batches before they are introduced into routine patient testing.

Question 5

When a routine H&E QC slide fails to meet acceptable standards, the first action a histotechnologist should take is to:

Accepted Answer

Investigate and identify the root cause of the failure

Answer

Root cause analysis must be performed first to determine whether the issue is with reagents, equipment, or technique before any corrective action can be taken.

Histology Certification Practice Test

Histology Certification Practice Test

Histology Certification Quality Control and Quality Assurance