Safety
If a hematoma begins to form, you should:
A. Continue drawing
B. Apply a bandaid
C. Stop the draw and apply pressure
D. Ignore it
C. Remove the needle and apply pressure to stop it.
C. Prevents the alcohol from entering the sample, reducing hemolysis risk.
Which instruction should be given to a patient preparing for a fasting blood glucose test?
A. Do not eat or drink anything except for water 8-12 hours before the test
B. Eat normally before the test
C. Avoid water and food for 24 hours
D. Drink orange juice an hour before the test
A. Fasting ensure the blood glucose levels are not influenced by recent food intake.
A phlebotomist needs to draw blood for a patient who has an IV in the left arm. What should the phlebotomist do?
A. Draw blood from above the IV
B. Use the same arm, below the IV without notifying the nurse.
C. Ask the nurse to turn off the IV and draw above the site.
D. Use the right arm or another site if available
D. Use the right arm or another site. Drawing from the same arm as the IV can contaminate the site.
B. Deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle travels through the pulmonary veins to the lungs to be oxygenated.
The maximum time a tourniquet should remain on is:
A. 30 seconds
B. 60 seconds
C. 2 minutes
D. 5 minutes
Under what circumstances is it appropriate to draw blood from a foot or ankle vein?
A. When the arm veins are difficult to locate
B. Only with a physicians written order
C. Any time a patient prefers it
D. When drawing a fasting glucose
B. Higher risk of thrombosis with ankle/foot veins.
D. Glucose
C. Drug screens must be tracked to ensure they are valid and legal. Chain of custody refers to the unbroken chain of process of handling, collecting, transferring, storing and testing a specimen. It ensures integrity.
D. The phlebotomist can inform the patient of which tests are being ordered but can't interpret or explain the reason behind the tests which falls outside the scope of practice. Referring the patient to their provider is the appropriate response.
A. Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute sets standards and guidelines for lab and phlebotomy practices.
To minimize contamination during blood culture collection, the phlebotomist should:
A. Collect the specimen after other tubes
B. Clean the site with alcohol only
C. Avoid touching the site after antisepsis
D. Collect from an existing IV line
C. Touching the site can introduce bacteria
What is the purpose of the bevel on a needle?
A. Prevents clots
B. Increases pain
C. Aid in vein penetration
D. Stop bleeding
C. Keep the bevel up!
The basilic vein is located:
A. On the thumb side
B. Near the center of the arm
C. In the wrist
D. On the pinky side
D. The basilic vein is on the pinky side and lies near arteries and nerves.
C. Never draw without confirming identity.
Fainting during a blood draw is called:
A. Hemolysis
B. Syncope
C. Petechiae
D. Cyanosis
B. Syncope is the medical term for fainting due to anxiety or temporary drop in blood pressure.
B. Never use hands, even gloved to pick up broken glass. Use a 1:10 bleach solution to disinfect the area after.
Why should a patient be instructed to not hold their breath during a blood draw?
A. Increases oxygen in the blood
B. It may cause dizziness, fainting or syncope
C. It makes the blood flow more quickly
D. It helps locate the vein better
B. It can lead to vasovagal reactions/fainting/syncope
Which gauge needle is commonly used for routine venipuncture?
A. 16
B. 18
C. 21
D. 27
C. 21 Gauge is standard. Large enough for blood flow while minimizing trauma.
A. Liver disease affects the production of clotting factors
What is the primary function of plasma in the blood?
A. Transport nutrients, hormones and wastes
B. Help form blood clots
C. Carry oxygen to tissues
D. Fight infection
A. Plasma is the liquid portion of blood that makes up 55% of the total volume. It transports nutrients, hormones, wastes and proteins through the body.
How long should pressure be applied to the venipuncture site after drawing blood?
A. 5 seconds
B. 30 seconds
C. 50 seconds
D. Until bleeding has been controlled
D. Can take 1-3 minutes. Failing to apply pressure until the bleeding is controlled can result in hematoma.
This type of non-blood sample must be collected first thing in the morning after rinsing the mouth with water, and requires the patient to cough deeply to produce it from the lungs—not the throat.
Sputum sample
Risk of sample dilution/contamination.
B. Wash the area thoroughly with soap and water and report it.
What is serum?
A. The liquid portion of blood that contains clotting factors
B. The portion of blood that includes red and white blood cells
C. Part of blood that forms the buffy coat
D. The fluid remaining after the blood has clotted and been centrifuged.
D. The clear fluid that remains. It doesn't include clotting factors, unlike plasma.