Laboratory Operations and Safety Flashcards
6 cards from real Medical Laboratory Technician Exam practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Laboratory Operations and Safety flashcards as text
In a Levey-Jennings chart, which Westgard rule flags a run when one control value exceeds the mean by more than 3 standard deviations?
Answer: 1-3s
The 1-3s Westgard rule is a rejection rule triggered when a single control measurement exceeds ±3 SD from the mean.
Which type of error causes all quality control results to shift in the same direction over time?
Answer: Systematic error
Systematic error produces a consistent directional shift or trend in QC values and is often caused by reagent deterioration or calibration drift.
A laboratory's proficiency testing (PT) result for glucose is graded as unacceptable. What is the required next step under CLIA?
Answer: Perform an investigation and implement corrective action
CLIA requires laboratories to investigate the cause of an unacceptable PT result and document corrective actions taken.
Which type of pipette delivers its nominal volume from tip drainage and is identified by a frosted or etched band near the top?
Answer: TD (to deliver) pipette
TD (to deliver) pipettes are calibrated so that the volume drains out and the frosted band indicates no rinsing is needed to deliver the full volume.
What is the purpose of a delta check in the laboratory?
Answer: To compare a patient's current result to a previous result
A delta check compares a patient's current laboratory result to their prior result to detect specimen identification errors or unexpected clinical changes.
Which tube color is used for serum chemistry testing because it contains a clot activator and gel separator?
Answer: Gold/SST
Gold or SST (serum separator tube) tubes contain a clot activator and gel separator that isolates serum after centrifugation for chemistry testing.