Analyzing Medical Technologist Flashcards
7 cards from real Medical Technologist Test practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Analyzing Medical Technologist flashcards as text
Which coagulation test is most affected by a short draw in a citrate tube?
Answer: PTT
PTT is most sensitive to the citrate-to-blood ratio, so a short draw falsely prolongs the result.
A patient's serum potassium is 6.8 mEq/L but the patient shows no clinical symptoms. What is the first action?
Answer: Check specimen for hemolysis
Hemolysis releases intracellular potassium and is the most common cause of spuriously elevated potassium.
On a peripheral blood smear, which finding is MOST consistent with megaloblastic anemia?
Answer: Hypersegmented neutrophils
Hypersegmented neutrophils (≥5 lobes) are a hallmark of megaloblastic anemia due to B12 or folate deficiency.
A Gram stain shows gram-positive cocci in clusters. Which organism is MOST likely?
Answer: Staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus species characteristically appear as gram-positive cocci in clusters on Gram stain.
Which urinalysis finding indicates a urinary tract infection caused by Proteus mirabilis?
Answer: Alkaline pH with ammonia odor
Proteus mirabilis produces urease, which splits urea into ammonia, raising urine pH and producing an ammonia odor.
Which blood bank compatibility test is designed to detect recipient antibodies against donor red cell antigens?
Answer: Major crossmatch
The major crossmatch tests recipient serum against donor red cells to detect clinically significant alloantibodies.
A reagent strip shows 3+ glucose but the refractometer specific gravity is 1.005. What is the BEST explanation?
Answer: Dilute urine with true glucosuria
Patients with uncontrolled diabetes can spill large amounts of glucose into very dilute urine, producing low specific gravity with high glucose.