Sample Collection
Sample Handling
Reference Intervals/ Where you send tests
Types of errors
Miscellaneous
100

A Cane Corso was hit by a car he came into your clinic and you decide to run a blood gas panel on him. What gauge needle are you choosing and what tube would you use?

21-22 gauge needle

Green tube 

100

What test tubes can you freeze and what ones can you not freeze

Freeze: Green, red, blue

Do not freeze: Purple 

100

You run a CBC Chem 17 on a Greyhound that has no known medical issues and is generally healthy. You notice that Stacys RBCs and ALK PHOS are slightly high. What would you recommend to the owner and why. 

Nothing, because some healthy animals have values outside the RI and some unhealthy animals have values within the RI

100

You draw blood on Winston the dog to be sent out to ANTECH. The blood is in a purple tube which you put into the freezer. What type or error is this or is there no error? 

pre-analytical error 

100

Name 2 reasons why clinical pathology is helpful 

can sometimes provide a definitive diagnosis

can help narrow down differential list 

can help guide decisions towards next diagnostic steps 

can help monitor a disease state or treatment 

Can detect pre-clinical disease 

can determine drug toxicity 

200

A lethargic lizard comes into your clinic, you need to run a CBC quickly! What tube should you use and how long should you wait before you put this tube in the centrifuge ?

Green

You can centrifuge immediately

200

You wanted to run a flow cytometry but you underfilled this tube. What would happen to the cells as a result?

cells will shrink 

200

What are 2 reasons why a value may be outside of the RI 

Disease

Biological variables

Errors 

200

You ran blood on your patient and used reference intervals from the wrong book what type of error is this. 

post-analytical error

200

Name 2 things that clinical pathology cannot do 

Always provide a definitive diagnosis

Always predict an outcome

Replace a good physical exam and history

Replace other diagnostic test 

300

What are the mechanisms of action for all 4 tubes discussed in class

Red: N/A

Purple: chelates Ca

Green: enhances antithrombin

Blue: binds Calcium 

300

What tube should you submit urine in 

purple

300

Name an advantage and disadvantage of in clinic testing 

Advantages: Rapid turn-around time, Control over testing, Can be economically beneficial, Potentially improved client satisfaction, Minimize pre-analytical errors due to transportation, Additional source of revenue

Disadvantages: Training of operator, Cost of equipment, Equipment maintenance, Potential need for expertise or consultation, Space for instrument, reagents, microscope, stains, etc. required

300

Name 2 examples of an analytical error 

 Inappropriate method for species
• Instrument quality
• Reagent quality
• Interfering substances
• Erroneous microscopic settings

300

A horse named Stanley comes into your clinic you wanna run a Coombs test. What size needle and test tube will you choose?

18-20 gauge 

Purple tube

400

Name the 4 tubes and one test they are best used for 

Red Top: Serum chemistry, protien electrophoresis, and culture 

Purple: CBC, PCV, TS, blood smear 

Green: plasma chemistry, STAT chemistry

Blue: coagulation tests

400

You need to run a coagulation test what is really important to remember during sample handling 

MUST FILL TO THE APPROPRIATE LINE 

400

Name an advantage and disadvantage of off site testing (veterinary specific) 

Advantages: Often cost-effective, Quality instrumentation and personnel, Often greater species-specific expertise, Technologist and pathologist
consultation available

Disadvantage: Turn-around-times slower than
in-clinic testing, and Courier service and/or
overnight shipping can be costly

400

name 2 examples of a pre analytical error 

Patient preparation

• Collection method

• Inappropriate tube

• Poor handling

• Poor storage

• Labeling error

• Delayed processing




400

What are the types of interference indices 

lipemic, hemolytic, and icterus index

500

Name the colors of the test tubes discussed in class and their anticoagulant 

Red top: none

Purple Top: EDTA

Green Top: Heparin 

Blue Top: Citrate 

500

you are running a serum chemistry what kind of error can occur if there is prolonged contact of plasma with cells 

pre-analytical errors 

500

What is the purpose of interference indices 

reports sample quality and possibility for
analytical errors

500

In house testing can prevent what kind of error 

pre-analytical 

500

What tubes can you use to test for body cavity effusion analysis 

red and purple