CMLA Terms questions and answers

CMLA Terms questions and answers Preservatives Chemicals added to maintain the integrity of a specimen Precipitant A substance that causes a precipitate to form when added to a solution. Precipitate A solid that forms and settles out of a liquid mixture Polychromatophilic The property of being stainable with various stains Point of Care Testing (POCT) Testing that takes place near the patient. EX) bedside, ambulance, home or physicians office Platelet Fragments of megakaryocyte that initiates clotting Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Protective equipment that blocks exposure to a pathogen or a hazardous material. Peer Group In proficiency testing, this refers to other labs using the same method or instrument O'Sullivan Test Gestational diabetes screen Like a GGT, give a 50 gram glucose drink Collect a blood sample after 1 hour, usually performed between 24 and 28 weeks gestation Occult Blood blood present in such minute quantities that it cannot be detected with the unassisted eye Normal Value/Range Expected range or recommended range based on the results of healthy, non-symptomatic individuals ABO Group -ABO bloodtype is determined by presence or absence of antigens (agglutinogens) on RBCs, type O has neither A or B Acceptable Limits How far from the mean a value can be and still be acceptable. Acceptable Control Range The range of results that indicate correct performance when analyzing a control sample. Usually the mean is +/- 2 SD Accuracy A description of how close a measurement is to the true value of the quantity measured. Aerobic Process that requires oxygen Agglutination The collection of separate particles into clumps or masses Agglutinin Something that causes particles to clump AIDS acquired immunodeficiency syndrome Aliquot Portion of specimen used for testing, represents the whole All Mean Method Proficiency testing program calculate the mean for all the different methods combined. Allowable Limits of Error The amount of error that can be tolerated without invalidating the medical usefulness of the test. Alveoli tiny sacs of lung tissue specialized for the movement of gases between air and blood Analysis The laboratory procedure that enables the measurement of an analyte in a specimen Analyst One who analyzes or makes use of the analytical method. Analyte Substance being analyzed Anemia A condition in which the blood is deficient in red blood cells, hemoglobin, or in total volume. Anisocytosis variation in RBC size Anaerobic Process that does not require oxygen Antibody A protein developed within the body in response to a foreign substance (antigen) Antigen A protein that, when introduced in the blood, triggers the production of an antibody Anticoagulant a drug that prevents clotting of the blood Aseptic free from disease-causing microorganisms Aspirate to withdraw fluid by suction fluid, or negative pressure; process of withdrawing fluid Assay analyze; evaluate Bacteria single-celled organisms that lack a nucleus; prokaryotes Bacteriology study of bacteria Batch Testing all samples are loaded at the same time and a single test is conducted on each sample Bias Inaccuracy. A measure of the departure from accuracy Biopsy the removal of living tissue from the body for diagnostic examination Blood A connective tissue with a fluid matrix called plasma in which red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes), and cell fragments called platelets are suspended. Bone Marrow A soft tissue inside the bone that produces blood cells Buffer A solution that minimizes changes in pH when extraneous acids or bases are added to the solution. Blood Types A, B, AB, O Buffy Coat a thin light colored layer of white blood cells and platelets than lie between a top layer of plasma and red blood cells Calibration Any procedure used to evaluate the accuracy of a measurement system and, when sources of error are found, to use that information to correct or improve the measuring system Calibration of Verification testing of materials of known amounts throughout the measurement range to ensure instrument accuracy Calibrator a known solution of an analyte obtained from a medical supply house or professional organization and used as a measuring stick to set instruments to read correctly Capillary A tiny blood vessels where blood is exchanged between the arteries and veins. Capillary Puncture a blood drawing technique that requires a superficial puncture of the skin with a sharp point Carbohydrate compound made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms; major source of energy for the human body Catalyst substance that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction Cells Basic unit of life; protoplasmic masses making up organized tissue consisting of a nucleus surrounded by cytoplasm, enclosed in a cell or plasma membrane Central Tendency the tendency of repeat measurements to be close to one value. mean, median, mode Centrifuge an instrument that separates materials in a mixture based on density using centrifugal force Coagulation process of blood clotting Coccus A spherical bacterium. Coefficient of Variation (CV) the standard deviation expressed as a percentage of the mean (SDx100)/mean Comparative Method in proficiency testing, a widely accepted reliable method Compound A substance made up of atoms of two or more different elements Contraindicate to make a treatment or procedure inadvisable Control the standard by which the test results can be compared Control Range This represents the allowable limits of variation in values. Assay range. Correlation Coefficient a statistic that estimates the degree of association between two variables. A value of 1.000 indicated perfect correlation Cytology study of structure and function of cells Data the numerical or qualitative results of a test of which conclusions are made Decant pour off Decision Value or Level A threshold value of a test result above or below which a physician will respond with a particular action. Deemed Status CMS will give / has given a private organization the power to accredit POLs , some states that have regulations will also have the power to accredit Degrees of Freedom the number of independent comparisons that can be made among N observations Disinfect inhibit or prevent growth of microbes Dispersion the spread or range of values observed. Standard Deviation is a measure of dispersion Distal away from the point of attachment Trend when values move away from the mean line over a period of time Electrolytes Substances that release ions in water, and can conduct electricity Element pure substance that consists entirely of one type of atom Endometrium inner, mucous membrane lining of the uterus Engineering Controls Procedures that isolate or remove the bloodborne pathogen hazard from the workplace such as sharps disposal container, self-sheathing needles. Enzymes Proteins that speed up chemical reactions Epidermis outermost layer of skin Error the difference between the accepted value and the experimental value Erythrocyte red blood cells Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) speed at which erythrocytes settle out of plasma