Medical Technologist Test Analyzing Medical Technologist 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which enzyme is MOST elevated in acute myocardial infarction and remains elevated for up to 14 days?
- CK-MB
- Troponin I
- LDH (Correct answer)
- AST
Correct answer: LDH
LDH (particularly LD1 isoenzyme) remains elevated for 10–14 days post-infarction, making it useful for late diagnosis.
Question 2: A CSF sample shows xanthochromia. What condition does this MOST suggest?
- Bacterial meningitis
- Viral meningitis
- Subarachnoid hemorrhage (Correct answer)
- Multiple sclerosis
Correct answer: Subarachnoid hemorrhage
Xanthochromia (yellow discoloration) results from RBC lysis releasing oxyhemoglobin and bilirubin after subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Question 3: Which quality control rule indicates a systematic error in an analytical run?
- 1-2s rule
- 1-3s rule
- 10x rule
- 2-2s rule on the same side (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 2-2s rule on the same side
The 2-2s rule triggered by consecutive QC values on the same side of the mean indicates a systematic shift or bias.
Question 4: Schistocytes on a peripheral blood smear combined with thrombocytopenia and elevated creatinine MOST suggest:
- DIC
- ITP
- TTP/HUS (Correct answer)
- Sickle cell disease
Correct answer: TTP/HUS
The triad of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (schistocytes), thrombocytopenia, and renal involvement defines TTP/HUS.
Question 5: Which organism causes a characteristic 'safety pin' bipolar staining on Gram stain and is associated with plague?
- Francisella tularensis
- Yersinia pestis (Correct answer)
- Brucella melitensis
- Burkholderia pseudomallei
Correct answer: Yersinia pestis
Yersinia pestis displays bipolar (safety-pin) staining with Wayson or Giemsa stain and is the causative agent of plague.
Question 6: A patient's ABO typing shows forward grouping of A but reverse grouping is missing the expected anti-B agglutination. What is the MOST likely cause?
- Cold agglutinins
- Hypogammaglobulinemia (Correct answer)
- Bombay phenotype
- Polyagglutination
Correct answer: Hypogammaglobulinemia
Hypogammaglobulinemia reduces isohemagglutinin levels, which can cause weak or absent reverse group reactions.
Question 7: Which test is the GOLD STANDARD for diagnosing syphilis in a laboratory setting?
- RPR
- VDRL
- FTA-ABS (Correct answer)
- Dark-field microscopy
Correct answer: FTA-ABS
The FTA-ABS (fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption) test is the gold standard confirmatory treponemal test for syphilis.
Medical Technologist Test Analyzing Medical Technologist 3
Which enzyme is MOST elevated in acute myocardial infarction and remains elevated for up to 14 days?