NCCT Phlebotomy Test Review
Questions with Correct Answers
What body system are being check with these tests - Answer- LYTES- Checks
electrolyte balance of blood stream
CBC- Complete Blood Count provides cells counts, hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct),
and other test for things like anemia
BILL- Bilirubin levels check liver function
What other body functions/systems/conditions are being tested with the following
profiles - Answer- -------
Creatinine, BUN, routine urinalysis test for - Answer- Renal( Kidney)- Waste, maintain s
pH, regulateds water
PTT, APTT, ProTime, Platelet Count test for - Answer- Coagulation( Bleeding)-
regulates clotting in blood
Alk Ptase, Calcium, LD test for - Answer- Bone- Skeletal system
Hemoglobin and Hematocrit test for - Answer- Anemia in blood- looking at the
peripheral blood circulation ( Circulatory system)
Troponin and CK-MB test for - Answer- Looking for MI (Myocardial infarction)- Heart
attack- of the Cardiovascular system
Trouble breathing, coughing is in which body system - Answer- Respiratory
What other major system are there - Answer- Skeletal, Integumentary, Muscular,
Nervous, Digestive, Urinary, Reproductive, Endocrine, Lymph, Cardiovascular
Which veins of the circulatory system re most commonly used for venipuncture? -
Answer- Median cubital, cephalic, and basilic
Which finger(s) is/are most commonly used for microsampling - Answer- Tip of the 3rd
or 4th finger
What type of patient can not be drawn in the leg or foot - Answer- Heart ( Cardiac)
patients
What part of an infant foot is used for mircosampling - Answer- Most medial or lateral
section of the plantar, or bottom, surface of the heel should be used
,Wrong patient information is the co worker correct about it does not matter which tube is
sent to the lab - Answer- No. Patient identification always matter. It's a # concern
What is your next step - Answer- Check with Mr. Jones if he is still there. ask for his
middle initial You Already have his numeric identifier", so you should check that as well.
Unless they are both born on the same date, you should have your man
What is often considered the single most important step in blood collection - Answer-
Patient ID; correct labels are a related second- without the right patient, even if
everything else is done perfectly, the lab test results are of no value
What could have been done to prevent any mix up - Answer- Getting a middle initial or
middle name hurts, especially if people have common surnames, like Jones or Smith
What other forms of numeric identifiers can used - Answer- Some outpatient sites will
allow Social Security Numbers to be used in identification. Inpatient hospital numbers
are the preferred numeric identifiers for patients admitted to hospitals. They must match
number for number. If they do not, blood cannot be drawn
After 3 patient blood draws you wash only once(NO NO) How are you doing so far with
respect to following Universal Precautions - Answer- Not well. You forget to wash your
hands between each patient
What should you do before drawing patient number three - Answer- Wash hands
How would cleansing the draw site differ between patients 1 and 2 - Answer- You use
alcohol alone to disinfect a normal venipuncture site and allow to air dry.Alcohol
followed by iodine to disinfect a blood culture draw site. To make sure it steriled
disinfect in a circular fashion like a cinn-roll 2 times and let air dry DO NOT BLOW ON
SITE
What are Universal Precautions - Answer- Treating all patient sample as if they are both
hazardous and infectious, and capable or transmitting something you don't want, is the
basis for the philosophy of safety known as using Universal Precaution
What color tube tops are generally drawn for cultures - Answer- Yellow
What would you consider using to draw a CBC order on a 5-year-old - Answer- 23
gauge needle and the pedi-lavender top tube; maybe the syringe if needed ( the higher
the gauge number the smaller the needle bore
What would you consider using to draw a Creatinine on a 45-year old male with huge
veins - Answer- 21 gauge needle and an adult speckled top tube
, What would you consider using to draw blood from an infant heel - Answer- Lancet, less
than 2.0 mm tip and microtainers
What are the medical terms for the smallest veins and arteries - Answer- Venules and
Arterioles
What happens if you use a drawing device with excessive vacuum on a patient with a
very thin and fragile vein - Answer- The vessel may collapse under the pressure; might
consider a syringe draw to control the amount of vacuum exerted
If you had to draw both the red and lavender tops on a single patient, which do you
draw first? what is the order of draw for all tube top colors - Answer- Draws red first then
lavender( since it has no additive)
What additives are in which tubes - Answer- Red top- Nothing; speckled(tiger top)
polymer barrier
Lavender top- EDTA
Light Blue top- Sodium Citrate
Green- Heparin
Gray- Potassium Oxalated=/or Sodium Fluoride
The tube order recommended by CLSI is - Answer- Blood culture tube/bottles;
coagulation tube (light blue); Serum tube with or without clot activator (red,gold,or
red/black) Heparin with or without gel plasma separtor (green); EDTA ( lavender or
pink); and glycolytic inhibitor ( gray); yellow top (A or B) ACD tubes; all others
What might be your course of action if you notice needles everywhere around patient -
Answer- Carefully pick needle up and discard it and if its around the patient make sure
the patient does not step or touch it
Containers that are used to dispose of sharps should have what charcteristics - Answer-
They must be spill proof, tamper proof, and puncture resistant
If you accidentally stick yourself with the needle as you pick it up, how would you clean
your wound - Answer- You could bleed the wound slightly and then clean it with soap
and water or an alcohol swab
Can you name at least three laws or regulations that govern safe practices for
phlebotomy? What do they address - Answer- OSHA (universal precautions, ect) Right
to nknow law (MSDS sheet) JCAHO regulations for patient and employee safety
As you leave, you notice that your tube adapter has been visibly contaminated with
patient's blood. Where should you dispose of it - Answer- Try the nearest biohazard
waste container
Questions with Correct Answers
What body system are being check with these tests - Answer- LYTES- Checks
electrolyte balance of blood stream
CBC- Complete Blood Count provides cells counts, hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct),
and other test for things like anemia
BILL- Bilirubin levels check liver function
What other body functions/systems/conditions are being tested with the following
profiles - Answer- -------
Creatinine, BUN, routine urinalysis test for - Answer- Renal( Kidney)- Waste, maintain s
pH, regulateds water
PTT, APTT, ProTime, Platelet Count test for - Answer- Coagulation( Bleeding)-
regulates clotting in blood
Alk Ptase, Calcium, LD test for - Answer- Bone- Skeletal system
Hemoglobin and Hematocrit test for - Answer- Anemia in blood- looking at the
peripheral blood circulation ( Circulatory system)
Troponin and CK-MB test for - Answer- Looking for MI (Myocardial infarction)- Heart
attack- of the Cardiovascular system
Trouble breathing, coughing is in which body system - Answer- Respiratory
What other major system are there - Answer- Skeletal, Integumentary, Muscular,
Nervous, Digestive, Urinary, Reproductive, Endocrine, Lymph, Cardiovascular
Which veins of the circulatory system re most commonly used for venipuncture? -
Answer- Median cubital, cephalic, and basilic
Which finger(s) is/are most commonly used for microsampling - Answer- Tip of the 3rd
or 4th finger
What type of patient can not be drawn in the leg or foot - Answer- Heart ( Cardiac)
patients
What part of an infant foot is used for mircosampling - Answer- Most medial or lateral
section of the plantar, or bottom, surface of the heel should be used
,Wrong patient information is the co worker correct about it does not matter which tube is
sent to the lab - Answer- No. Patient identification always matter. It's a # concern
What is your next step - Answer- Check with Mr. Jones if he is still there. ask for his
middle initial You Already have his numeric identifier", so you should check that as well.
Unless they are both born on the same date, you should have your man
What is often considered the single most important step in blood collection - Answer-
Patient ID; correct labels are a related second- without the right patient, even if
everything else is done perfectly, the lab test results are of no value
What could have been done to prevent any mix up - Answer- Getting a middle initial or
middle name hurts, especially if people have common surnames, like Jones or Smith
What other forms of numeric identifiers can used - Answer- Some outpatient sites will
allow Social Security Numbers to be used in identification. Inpatient hospital numbers
are the preferred numeric identifiers for patients admitted to hospitals. They must match
number for number. If they do not, blood cannot be drawn
After 3 patient blood draws you wash only once(NO NO) How are you doing so far with
respect to following Universal Precautions - Answer- Not well. You forget to wash your
hands between each patient
What should you do before drawing patient number three - Answer- Wash hands
How would cleansing the draw site differ between patients 1 and 2 - Answer- You use
alcohol alone to disinfect a normal venipuncture site and allow to air dry.Alcohol
followed by iodine to disinfect a blood culture draw site. To make sure it steriled
disinfect in a circular fashion like a cinn-roll 2 times and let air dry DO NOT BLOW ON
SITE
What are Universal Precautions - Answer- Treating all patient sample as if they are both
hazardous and infectious, and capable or transmitting something you don't want, is the
basis for the philosophy of safety known as using Universal Precaution
What color tube tops are generally drawn for cultures - Answer- Yellow
What would you consider using to draw a CBC order on a 5-year-old - Answer- 23
gauge needle and the pedi-lavender top tube; maybe the syringe if needed ( the higher
the gauge number the smaller the needle bore
What would you consider using to draw a Creatinine on a 45-year old male with huge
veins - Answer- 21 gauge needle and an adult speckled top tube
, What would you consider using to draw blood from an infant heel - Answer- Lancet, less
than 2.0 mm tip and microtainers
What are the medical terms for the smallest veins and arteries - Answer- Venules and
Arterioles
What happens if you use a drawing device with excessive vacuum on a patient with a
very thin and fragile vein - Answer- The vessel may collapse under the pressure; might
consider a syringe draw to control the amount of vacuum exerted
If you had to draw both the red and lavender tops on a single patient, which do you
draw first? what is the order of draw for all tube top colors - Answer- Draws red first then
lavender( since it has no additive)
What additives are in which tubes - Answer- Red top- Nothing; speckled(tiger top)
polymer barrier
Lavender top- EDTA
Light Blue top- Sodium Citrate
Green- Heparin
Gray- Potassium Oxalated=/or Sodium Fluoride
The tube order recommended by CLSI is - Answer- Blood culture tube/bottles;
coagulation tube (light blue); Serum tube with or without clot activator (red,gold,or
red/black) Heparin with or without gel plasma separtor (green); EDTA ( lavender or
pink); and glycolytic inhibitor ( gray); yellow top (A or B) ACD tubes; all others
What might be your course of action if you notice needles everywhere around patient -
Answer- Carefully pick needle up and discard it and if its around the patient make sure
the patient does not step or touch it
Containers that are used to dispose of sharps should have what charcteristics - Answer-
They must be spill proof, tamper proof, and puncture resistant
If you accidentally stick yourself with the needle as you pick it up, how would you clean
your wound - Answer- You could bleed the wound slightly and then clean it with soap
and water or an alcohol swab
Can you name at least three laws or regulations that govern safe practices for
phlebotomy? What do they address - Answer- OSHA (universal precautions, ect) Right
to nknow law (MSDS sheet) JCAHO regulations for patient and employee safety
As you leave, you notice that your tube adapter has been visibly contaminated with
patient's blood. Where should you dispose of it - Answer- Try the nearest biohazard
waste container
