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Special Collection Procedures Flashcards

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  1. When collecting a neonatal bilirubin specimen, what is the primary concern regarding light exposure?

    Answer: Light degrades bilirubin, causing falsely low results

    Bilirubin is photosensitive and breaks down rapidly when exposed to light, so specimens must be wrapped in foil or collected in amber tubes immediately.

  2. A glucose tolerance test (GTT) requires the patient to fast for how long before the baseline draw?

    Answer: 8–12 hours

    Standard GTT protocol requires an 8–12 hour fast to establish a reliable fasting baseline glucose level.

  3. Which needle gauge is most appropriate for a blood culture collection to minimize contamination risk while maintaining adequate flow?

    Answer: 21–22 gauge

    A 21–22 gauge needle provides adequate flow for blood culture volumes while reducing hemolysis and patient discomfort.

  4. When performing a capillary blood gas collection from a neonate's heel, what must be done to the heel before puncture?

    Answer: Warm the heel to 42°C (107.6°F) for at least 3–5 minutes

    Warming arterializes the capillary blood by causing vasodilation, which improves the accuracy of blood gas values.

  5. For a therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) trough level, blood should be drawn at which time?

    Answer: Immediately before the next scheduled dose

    Trough levels are drawn immediately before the next dose to capture the lowest drug concentration in the bloodstream.

  6. Which collection method is used to diagnose malaria by examining thick and thin blood smears?

    Answer: Fingerstick or venipuncture with smears made immediately

    Fresh blood smears—thick for parasite detection and thin for species identification—can be made from either a fingerstick or venipuncture collected in EDTA.

  7. A STAT arterial blood gas (ABG) sample collected in a heparinized syringe must be transported to the lab within what time frame if kept at room temperature?

    Answer: 30 minutes

    ABG samples must reach the analyzer within 30 minutes at room temperature to prevent continued cellular metabolism from altering pH, PO2, and PCO2 values.