Medical Technologist Knowledge 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 Medical Technologist Knowledge flashcards as text
Which test is used to differentiate Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A) from other beta-hemolytic streptococci?
Answer: Bacitracin susceptibility
Group A streptococci (S. pyogenes) are susceptible to bacitracin, differentiating them from other beta-hemolytic streptococcal groups.
A patient's red blood cells fail to agglutinate with anti-A, anti-B, and anti-D, but the serum has no alloantibodies. This pattern is consistent with:
Answer: Bombay phenotype (Oh)
Bombay phenotype lacks H antigen, so cells type as O but also lack normal H antigen, and serum contains anti-H that reacts with all common donor cells.
The principle behind the ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) technique is:
Answer: Enzyme-labeled antibody binding detected by color change upon substrate addition
ELISA uses an enzyme-conjugated antibody; addition of substrate causes a colorimetric reaction proportional to the amount of antigen or antibody present.
Which finding on a peripheral smear is characteristic of iron deficiency anemia?
Answer: Microcytosis with hypochromia and target cells
Iron deficiency anemia produces microcytic, hypochromic red cells, often with target cells due to excess membrane relative to hemoglobin content.
The confirmatory test for HIV infection after a reactive screening immunoassay is:
Answer: HIV-1/HIV-2 antibody differentiation immunoassay or HIV RNA NAT
Per the current CDC 2014 algorithm, a reactive 4th-generation immunoassay is confirmed with an HIV-1/HIV-2 antibody differentiation assay, followed by HIV-1 RNA NAT if results are discordant.
Which coagulation factor is measured by the prothrombin time (PT) but NOT the aPTT?
Answer: Factor VII
Factor VII is part of the extrinsic pathway and is measured by PT (via tissue factor), while aPTT evaluates the intrinsic pathway (Factors VIII, IX, XI, XII).
A urine culture growing >100,000 CFU/mL of a single organism from a clean-catch midstream specimen is interpreted as:
Answer: Significant bacteriuria indicating urinary tract infection
≥100,000 CFU/mL (10^5) of a single uropathogen from a properly collected midstream specimen is the classic threshold for significant bacteriuria.