Deck 8: Collection and Processing of Blood Samples

Question 1

Match the most appropriate method of venipuncture with each situation. Some methods of venipuncture may be used more than once or not at all.
A.Evacuated tube system
B.Winged Infusion set
C.Syringe System
50-year-old female, blood draw ordered for routine yearly physical

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Match the most appropriate method of venipuncture with each situation. Some methods of venipuncture may be used more than once or not at all.
A.Evacuated tube system
B.Winged Infusion set
C.Syringe System
20-year-old healthy male

Answer 2

A

Question 3

When considering the veins of the antecubital area for a blood draw, the first vein of choice is the:

A)Basilic vein
B)Cephalic vein
C)Median cubital vein
D)Brachial vein

Answer 3

C
The median cubital vein is the best anchored and often is the largest vein in the antecubital area.

Question 4

Match the most appropriate method of venipuncture with each situation. Some methods of venipuncture may be used more than once or not at all.
A.Evacuated tube system
B.Winged Infusion set
C.Syringe System
75-year-old male, excessive bruising in antecubital area from anticoagulant use and repeat blood draws, small hand veins

Question 5

A mass of blood caused by damage to a blood vessel is called:

A)Hematoma
B)Hemoconcentration
C)Hemolysis
D)Vasodilation

Question 6

Which of these terms usually describes an inappropriate blood specimen?

A)Serum
B)Hemolysis
C)Plasma
D)Whole blood

Question 7

Many automated CLIA-waived tests utilizing point-of-care testing require capillary blood samples for testing.

Question 8

Match the most appropriate method of venipuncture with each situation. Some methods of venipuncture may be used more than once or not at all.
A.Evacuated tube system
B.Winged Infusion set
C.Syringe System
9-year-old male, dehydrated from several days of vomiting

Question 9

One way to avoid negative outcomes when drawing blood may be:

A)Anchoring veins firmly when inserting the needle
B)Puncturing a vein on both sides by going through the vein with the needle
C)Using the evacuated tube system for all draws, regardless of vein integrity or location
D)Drawing from the basilic vein

Question 10

A butterfly system may be preferred to a blood draw in this situation:

A)Drawing blood from a vein in the back of the hand
B)Drawing from the median cubital vein on a healthy adult
C)Drawing blood from a small child
D)A and C
E)None of the above

Question 11

When blood enters the heart from the systemic circulation, which chamber does it enter first?

A)Left ventricle
B)Right atrium
C)Left atrium
D)Right ventricle

Question 12

Tubes that contain thixotropic gel to separate plasma from cells are ____tubes.

A)SST
B)Lavender top
C)Microcollector
D)PST

Question 13

Which of these tubes should be drawn last when performing a blood draw using the evacuated tube system?

A)Gray-top tube
B)Light blue-top tube
C)Lavender-top tube
D)Green-top tube

Question 14

A peripheral blood smear may be utilized in this way:

A)To analyze the hematocrit level
B)To identify the types and percentages of the various types of white cells
C)To perform coagulation testing
D)To perform clinical chemistry testing

Question 15

Heparin is present as an anticoagulant in which tube?

A)Lavender-top tube
B)Gray-top tube
C)Green-top tube
D)Light blue-top tube

Question 16

Match the most appropriate method of venipuncture with each situation. Some methods of venipuncture may be used more than once or not at all.
A.Evacuated tube system
B.Winged Infusion set
C.Syringe System
3-year-old healthy male

Question 17

Which type of specimen may appear cloudy after centrifugation and is unacceptable for many chemistry testing procedures?

A)Lipemic
B)Plasma
C)Serum
D)Whole blood

Question 18

Sodium citrate is present as an anticoagulant in which tube?

A)Lavender-top tube
B)Gray-top tube
C)Green-top tube
D)Light blue-top tube

Question 19

Which of these structures is not part of the cardiovascular system?

A)Venules
B)Valves
C)Capillaries
D)Alveoli

Question 20

Which of these is a good practice when drawing blood from a child?

A)Request assistance from the adult who brought the child
B)Speak to the child directly using calming words he or she can understand
C)Prepare the venipuncture supplies quickly, and try not to show the child the needle until immediately before the puncture
D)All of the above

Question 21

Laboratory tests that require plasma for testing may be obtained using any tube with anticoagulant added.

Question 22

All laboratory tests may be performed by obtaining a capillary sample.

Question 23

Edematous areas must be avoided when performing venipuncture.

Question 24

Not all tests can be performed on samples collected from capillary puncture into microcollection tubes.

Question 25

When preparing to draw blood for a CBC on an elderly female patient, the medical assistant sees a large vein in her antecubital area. The MA quickly cleans the site, applies a tourniquet, and attempts a blood draw. She is not successful with the blood draw, even though she feels certain that the needle is within the vein.What important step did the MA skip when she started the process that may have resulted in a successful blood draw?

Question 26

The ___________keep the blood in the heart and the veins from flowing backwards.Short Answer

Question 27

Emma is a new medical assistant who has been called to the laboratory area in a busy family practice clinic because the lab is so busy. The regular lab employee has been drawing patients one after another for the past 2 hours and has not had an opportunity to process any of the samples so that they can be transported to the reference laboratory when the courier comes to pick them up. She asks Emma to help with the specimen processing.Emma gathers all the red-top and tiger-top tubes that are in the specimen rack and puts them into the centrifuge to begin spinning. She is very careful to balance the centrifuge appropriately, because she remembers that this was an important part of the process emphasized in lab class in school.When the centrifuge has completed the cycle, Emma removes the tubes. She notices that two of the tiger-top tubes do not look like the others. The part of the tube where plasma should be evident is somewhat cloudy and solid, and she is not able to separate off much plasma when she attempts to pour the specimen into another transfer tube.What is a likely explanation for the appearance of these tubes? What could Emma have done to avoid this problem?

Question 28

The most important aspect of the collection procedure is patient identification.

Question 29

When drawing blood from geriatric patients, it may be necessary to collect a smaller specimen volume than you would from a young adult.

Question 30

Only lavender-top tubes require inversion after collection to avoid clot formation.

Question 31

Red cell morphology and various white cell types can easily be identified on a blood smear that is properly created and stained appropriately.

Question 32

Veins have valves that help to move the blood through the system.

Question 33

Reference ranges for arterial, venous, and capillary samples are often different.Completion
Complete each statement.

Question 34

When preparing a peripheral blood smear for staining, a large drop of blood directly from a capillary puncture is necessary.

Question 35

Cora Lydell learned phlebotomy as part of her medical assistant training a few years ago. She has not worked in the laboratory environment since that time, but today her office manager asked her to work in the lab because of some staffing issues. Cora's morning is uneventful until a few hours after she starts her shift. A patient comes in with orders for coagulation studies, iron levels, a CBC, and electrolytes. Cora remembers that there is a certain order of draw that should be performed, but she cannot remember which tube should be drawn in what order. She decides to draw the tiger-top tube required for the iron studies first, then the lavender-top tube for the CBC, followed by the green-top tube for the electrolytes.Did Cora follow the correct order of draw?