NCCT Laboratory Terminology and Communication 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which medical term means an abnormally low platelet count?
- Thrombocytopenia (Correct answer)
- Thrombocytosis
- Leukopenia
- Erythrocytosis
Correct answer: Thrombocytopenia
Thrombocytopenia is a condition of abnormally low platelets (below ~150,000/µL), increasing bleeding risk during venipuncture.
Question 2: What does 'lipemia' indicate in a blood sample?
- Excess lipids causing a cloudy or milky appearance (Correct answer)
- Excess glucose in the plasma
- Hemolysis of red blood cells
- Bacterial contamination
Correct answer: Excess lipids causing a cloudy or milky appearance
Lipemia refers to elevated lipids in the blood, causing a turbid or milky appearance in serum or plasma that can interfere with spectrophotometric tests.
Question 3: What is the meaning of the prefix 'brady-'?
- Slow (Correct answer)
- Fast
- Large
- Small
Correct answer: Slow
The prefix 'brady-' means slow, as in bradycardia (slow heart rate), which a phlebotomist may observe in patients.
Question 4: What does 'POC' stand for in laboratory testing?
- Point-of-care (Correct answer)
- Patient order confirmation
- Pre-operative collection
- Plasma oncotic concentration
Correct answer: Point-of-care
Point-of-care (POC) testing is performed near or at the patient's location for rapid results, using portable analyzers rather than central laboratory equipment.
Question 5: What is an 'aliquot' in laboratory processing?
- A measured portion of a specimen transferred for analysis (Correct answer)
- A type of blood collection tube
- A needle disposal container
- A patient consent form
Correct answer: A measured portion of a specimen transferred for analysis
An aliquot is a measured sub-sample taken from the original specimen and transferred to another container for a specific test or for storage.
Question 6: What does the term 'centrifugation' accomplish in specimen processing?
- Separates blood components by density using spinning force (Correct answer)
- Destroys pathogens in a specimen
- Measures blood cell counts automatically
- Filters particulates from plasma
Correct answer: Separates blood components by density using spinning force
Centrifugation spins specimens at high speed to separate cellular elements from plasma or serum based on differences in density.
NCCT Laboratory Terminology and Communication 2
Which medical term means an abnormally low platelet count?