CHAPTER 3 (NRCMA CERTIFICATION STUDY GUIDE)| 30 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

The most common device for obtaining cultures is the sterile swab. A properly collected sputum specimen should contain mucus coughed up from the lungs. A stool specimen that is mixed with urine is not an appropriate specimen for examination. The most reliable and timely method of transporting microbiologic specimen is pickup by the laboratory. Dry ice should not be used for packing when sending s specimen through the mail. An etiologic agent refers to a living microorganism or its toxin that may cause human disease. When preparing a wet mount , mix a small amount of the specimen with a drop of 0.9% sodium chloride on a glass slide. Gram-positive bacteria retain dye, turning purple. The optimal temperature to promote growth of bacteria in culture medium is 37 degrees C. The most common type of culture medium used in the laboratory is blood sugar. Bacteria placed in a culture plate grows sufficiently within several hours. A medical assistant needs additional training to be able to perform microbiologic tests, such as sensitivity tests, and to interpret cultures of specimens. Hypernatremia is an excess of sodium in the blood. A quality control system is an ongoing system to evaluate quality of medical care that is being provided. Bacteria can be found in soil and water. The process of blood cells clumping together to form a clot is called coagulation. When using a centrifuge always balance the tubes placed inside. In general, the intensity of urine color reflects in the pH, concentration, & transparency. The intensity of the urine's color reflects the concentration. a genitourinary tract infection would primarily be evidence by a microscopic containing many white blood cells. When performing a microscopic, the evaluation of each element present in the urinary sediment is based upon the average number found in ten fields. when performing phlebotomy in the forearm, use a 20 or 21 gauge needless. When doing a red cell count multiply the cells counted by 10,000. The hematocrit reading is low in cases or anemia. when focusing in the microscope, begin with the 10X objective. The lenses should cleaned with lens paper. With 10X ocular and the 40X objective, the total magnification is 400X. In a microscope urinalysis, red and white blood cells are reported per HPF. The macroscopic examination of urine consists of observing the color and character.