Phlebotomy Test American Medical Certification Association 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a capillary puncture on an adult, which site is preferred?
- Fingertip center
- Lateral aspect of the fingertip (Correct answer)
- Earlobe
- Medial aspect of the heel
Correct answer: Lateral aspect of the fingertip
The lateral (side) aspect of the fingertip is preferred because it is less sensitive and has a better capillary bed than the center, which has dense nerve endings.
Question 2: What does HIPAA require phlebotomists to protect?
- Only written patient records
- All individually identifiable health information in any form (Correct answer)
- Only electronic records stored on hospital servers
- Insurance billing records exclusively
Correct answer: All individually identifiable health information in any form
HIPAA's Privacy Rule protects all individually identifiable health information regardless of whether it is oral, written, or electronic.
Question 3: A phlebotomist notices a patient's ID band is missing. What should they do?
- Proceed using the requisition form alone
- Ask the patient to verbally state their name and date of birth only
- Refuse to draw until proper identification is confirmed per facility protocol (Correct answer)
- Ask a nearby visitor to confirm the patient's identity
Correct answer: Refuse to draw until proper identification is confirmed per facility protocol
Proper patient identification is mandatory before specimen collection; the phlebotomist must follow facility protocol to obtain verified ID before proceeding.
Question 4: Which evacuated tube color is used for coagulation studies such as PT and aPTT?
- Green
- Light blue (Correct answer)
- Royal blue
- Yellow
Correct answer: Light blue
Light blue-top tubes contain 3.2% sodium citrate, which is the required anticoagulant for coagulation assays like PT, aPTT, and fibrinogen.
Question 5: What is the blood-to-additive ratio required for a light blue-top coagulation tube?
- 5:1
- 9:1 (Correct answer)
- 4:1
- 1:1
Correct answer: 9:1
The correct ratio is 9 parts blood to 1 part sodium citrate; underfilling invalidates coagulation results by diluting the specimen.
Question 6: Which type of isolation precaution requires the phlebotomist to wear a gown, gloves, and eye protection?
- Airborne precautions
- Droplet precautions
- Contact precautions (Correct answer)
- Standard precautions alone
Correct answer: Contact precautions
Contact precautions require gown and gloves; if splashing is likely, eye protection is added to prevent transmission of organisms spread by direct contact.
Question 7: A specimen labeled 'STAT' must be delivered to the laboratory within what general timeframe?
- Within 4 hours
- Immediately or within 30–60 minutes (Correct answer)
- Within 2 hours
- By end of shift
Correct answer: Immediately or within 30–60 minutes
STAT specimens require immediate priority handling and are typically delivered to the lab within 30–60 minutes to support urgent clinical decisions.
Phlebotomy Test American Medical Certification Association 3
During a capillary puncture on an adult, which site is preferred?