Phlebotomy Technician Exam Questions and Answers, Exams of Medicine

Download Phlebotomy Technician Exam Questions and Answers and more Exams Medicine in PDF only on Docsity! NHA CPT 2022-2023 Questions and Answers 2024 Safety and Compliance- A phlebotomy technician is preparing to perform a venipuncture for a patient who has pneumonia. Besides gloves, which of the following pieces of personal protective equipment should the technician wear? A. Gown B. N95 respirator C. Face mask D. Goggles Correct Answer is C. The technician should wear a face mask when performing a venipuncture for a patient who has a condition that requires droplet precautions, such as pneumonia. Safety and Compliance- While collecting a blood specimen, a phlebotomy technician notices the glass collection tube is cracked. Which of the following actions should the technician take? A. Wrap the tube in a pair of gloves and place it in a trash can. B. Discard the tube in a biohazard bag. C. Label the tube and send it to the laboratory. D. Dispose of the tube in a sharps container. Correct Answer is D. The technician should discard broken glass in a sharps container to reduce the risk of injury. Safety and Compliance- A phlebotomy technician is performing a glucometer reading in a young adult patient. The patient's parent is in the room and asks about the patient's glucose level. Which of the following actions should the technician take? A. Write down the results for the parent and the patient. B. Ask the parent to leave the room and tell the patient. C. Show the patient and parent the results in the patient and parent the results in the patient's electronic health record. (EHR) D. Ask the patient for permission to disclose the results with the parent present. Correct Answer is D. The technician should not give the results directly to the patient's parent. Because the patient is an adult, the technician should ask the patient for permission to disclose results. Safety and Compliance- A phlebotomy technician is preparing to perform the third set of blood draws for a glucose tolerance test (GTT). The patient starts to cry and refuses to extend her arm for the draw. Which of the following statements should the technician make? A. "I will get in trouble if I don't perform the draw." B. "I promise the draw won't hurt." C. "May I come back in an hour to perform the draw?" D. "May I please perform the draw?" Correct Answer is D. The GTT is a timed test that requires multiple blood draws performed at set intervals to adequately determine values and ranges. The technician should ask the patient for permission to perform the draw but should recognize the patient's right to refuse the procedure. Safety and Compliance- A phlebotomy technician is preparing to complete the glucose monitor quality control record. Which of the following information should the technician record in the quality control record? A. Daily patient test results B. Physician's NPI number C. Date of battery change D. Time that values were recorded Correct Answer is C. The technician should perform daily quality control checks and record the results of these checks and any other maintenance in the quality control record. Safety and Compliance- A phlebotomy technician observes a glucometer reading of 250 mg/dL. A second test is performed and returns a reading within the expected reference range. Which of the following circumstances could have caused the first result to be inaccurate? A. Too much blood was used. B. The first drop of blood was used. C. Too little blood was used. D. The test strips were left open. Correct Answer is A. If too much blood is applied to a test strip, it can cause false high glucose level readings. Safety and Compliance- Which of the following solutions should a phlebotomy technician use to clean a cerebral spine specimen spill? A. Chlorine bleach B. Hydrogen peroxide C. Povidone-iodine D. Isopropyl alcohol Correct Answer is A. The technician should use a 1:10 solution of bleach and water to clean a biohazard spill. Chlorine bleach is a disinfected and will kill all pathogens. Safety and Compliance- A phlebotomy technician experiences a needlestick injury while performing a venipuncture. Which of the following information should the technician include the online sharps injury log? A. Hepatitis A virus (HAV) B. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) C. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) D. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Correct Answer is C. The technician is at the greatest risk for exposure to Hepatitis B Virus (HBV). The CDC estimates that the risk of infection is approximately between 6% to 30% Safety and Compliance- A phlebotomy technician receives a splash of blood to the eyes while transferring serum into an isolator tube. Which of the following actions should the technician take first? A. Notify his immediate supervisor. B. Rinse his eyes with water. C. Disinfect his contact lenses with saline. D. Report to a health care provider. Correct Answer is B. The technician should rinse his eyes with water for 15 min immediately following the incident. Safety and Compliance- A phlebotomy technician is collecting a sample for cholesterol troponin, and HDL blood results. Which of the following departments is responsible for processing these tests? A. Hematology B. Microbiology C. Chemistry D. Pathology Correct Answer is C. The chemistry department processes tests related to body chemistry. Safety and Compliance- A phlebotomy technician is performing a blood alcohol test. Which of the following antiseptics should the technician use? A. Tincture of iodine B. Ethanol C. Chlorhexidine glucometer D. Isopropyl alcohol Correct Answer is C. The technician should use chlorhexidine gluconate to perform a blood alcohol test because it does not contain alcohol. Safety and Compliance- A phlebotomy technician is performing a venipuncture on a patient who has a wound infected with methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSRA) and has been placed in isolation. Which of the following actions should the technician take once the procedure is complete? A. Remove show covers after leaving the room. B. Dispose of gloves after leaving the room. C. Dispose of gown before leaving the room. D. Clean the gown before leaving the room. Correct Answer is C. The technician should remove the dispose of the gown before leaving the patient's room. Patient Preparation- Which of the following types of urine specimen should a phlebotomy technician instruct a patient to collect for a pregnancy test? A. First-morning B. Timed C. Random D. Suprapubic Correct Answer is A. The technician should instruct the client to collect a first-morning void because it is the most concentrated specimen of the day, which makes it the optimal method for detecting human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Patient Preparation- A phlebotomy technician is explaining a phlebotomy procedure to a patient who wears hearing aids. The patient seems distracted. Which of the following questions should the technician ask to ensure the patient understands the procedure? A. "Did you hear what I said?" B. "Do you understand what you need to do?" C. "Would you like me to repeat the directions?" D. "Do you need me to talk slower?" Correct Answer is C. The technician should ask the patient if she needs any directions repeated to verify that the patient clearly understands the information. Patient Preparation- A phlebotomy technician should identify that which of the following information is required for positive identification of a patients in an outpatient facility? A. Attached ID band, full name, accession number B. Picture ID, full name, date of birth C. Accession number, full name, date of birth D. Medical requisition number, full name, date if draw Correct Answer is B. For patient identification in an outpatient facility, the technician must have one piece of visual identification and two instances of verbal confirmation of identification. Patient Preparation- A phlebotomy technician enters a patient's room to perform a blood draw and notices that the patient's identification band is sitting on the bedside table. The patient states, " I hate wearing it, so I took if off." Which of the following responses should the technician make? A. "I will ask the nurse to replace the identification band." B. " Please show me your driver's license." C. "I will proceed with the blood draw." D. "I will ask your roommate to verify your identification." Correct Answer is A. Before performing a blood draw, the technician must ensure the patient's armband is in place and verbally verify the patient's identification. Patient Preparation- A phlebotomy technician is seeking consent to perform venipuncture on an older patient who has been accompanied to the facility by a younger adult. Which of the following actions should the technician take? A. Speak to the patient in a loud voice. B. Give the consent form to the adult accompanying the patient C. Speak to the patient in a normal tone. D. Stand close to the patient while speaking. Correct Answer is C. The technician should treat the patient with respect, regardless of age, After assessing the patient, the technician should alter communication methods to fit the patient's needs. Patient Preparation- A phlebotomy technician is preparing to draw blood from a patient who has been admitted for life threatening cardiac symptoms. Which of the following actions should the technician take? A. Ask the patient to sign a consent form. B. Ask for consent from a family member. C. Proceed with collecting the patient's blood. D. Proceed after verbal consent has been given. Correct Answer is C. The technician should recognize that an emergency situation removes the need for consent. Therefore, the technician should proceed with the blood collection. Patient Preparation- A phlebotomy technician is collecting a specimen to test a patient's lithium level following a recent dose of medication. Which of the following levels should the technician collect? A. Peak B. Trough C. Fasting D. Random Correct Answer is A. The technician should collect a blood specimen 15-30 min after the lithium has been administered for an optimum peak level result. Patient Preparation- A phlebotomy technician is preparing to perform a blood collection in an outpatient setting. Which of the following information is required on the requisition form? A. Patient medical record number and bed number B. Provider's name and provider's license number Patient Preparation- A phlebotomy technician is preparing to collect a specimen from a 3-year-old patient to perform a coagulation test. Which of the following collection methods should the technician use? A. Finger Stick B. Heel Stick C. Winged safety butterfly D. Evacuated tube system Correct Answer is C. The technician should use a winged safety butterfly device when collecting a specimen from a 3 year old patient to perform a coagulation test. This method is best for patients who have small veins such as young children. Patient Preparation- A phlebotomy technician is performing a venipuncture on a patient who currently has an IV in both arms. Which of the following actions should the technician take? A. Ask the nurse to turn the IVs off for 1 min. B. Apply the tourniquet about the IV site. C. Ask the nurse to turn the IVs off for 2 min. D. Ask the nurse to remove one of the IVs. Correct Answer is C. The technician should ask the nurse to turn both of the IVs off for 2 min before processing with the venipuncture. Patient Participation- A phlebotomy technician is educating a patient about a 24-hr urine collection. Which of the following instructions should the technician give to the patient? A. "Avoid mixing or inverting the container after collecting the specimen." B. "Start collecting at the second void of the day." C. Reduce fluid intake during the 24- hour time frame." D. "Store the specimen at room temperature." Correct Answer is B. The patient should use the second void of the day to begin the 24-hr urine collection. The exact time should be written on the container label. Patient Participation- A phlebotomy technician is instructing a patient on how to collect a ruin specimen for a culture and sensitivity test. Which of the following statements should the technician include? A. "You will need to collect a midstream clean-catch specimen." B. "You will need to collect your first void of the morning." C. "You will need to collect the specimen after a 12-hour fast." D. "You will need to collect the specimen 2 hours after eating." Correct Answer is A. The patient should collect a midstream clean-catch specimen to avoid cross-contamination with other microbes. This is the preferred collection process for a culture and sensitivity test. Routine Blood Collections- A phlebotomy technician is performing a hand venipuncture on a 25- year old patient who has small veins that are difficult to access which of the following equipment should the technician use to perform the procedure? A. 21-gauge ETS eclipse needle B. 25-gauge ETS eclipse needle C. 23-gauge winged collection set D. 23- gauge syringe collection set Correct Answer is C. The technician should use a winged collection set for a hand draw and a 23-gauge needle should be small enough to access the patient's small veins. Routine Blood Collections- A phlebotomy technician is preparing equipment for a blood draw. The technician notices that one of the tubes on the tray is expired. Which of the following actions should the technician take to ensure accurate test results? A. Use a new tube from the front of the shelf. B. Use a tube from the back of the shelf. C. Use the expired tube regardless of the date. D. Use the tube within 5 days of expiration. Correct Answer is A. The technician should use a new tube from the front of the shelf to perform the blood draw. Routine Blood Collections- A phlebotomy technician is performing a venipuncture for a potassium test, CBC, and glucose test. The technician has left the tourniquet tied on the patient for 3 min. Which of the following outcomes should the technician expect? A. High potassium level B. Low iron level C. High CBC level D. Low potassium level Correct Answer is A. Leaving a tourniquet tied on for longer than 1 min can cause hemolysis, which creates a falsely elevated potassium level. Routine Blood Collection- A phlebotomy technician performing a blood collection for a patient who has edema in her right arm. Which of the following locations should the technician identify as the best vein choice for venipuncture? A. Right side median cubical B. Right side median cephalic C. Left side basilic D. Left side dorsal hand Correct Answer is D. The technician should use this site to perform the collection. This vein is not on the same side as the edema and it is an acceptable draw site. Routine Blood Collections- A phlebotomy technician is using providing-iodine during a capillary specimen collection. Which of the following outcomes should the technician expect? A. Increased potassium level B. Decreased potassium level C. Increased glucose levels D. Decreased glucose levels Correct Answer is A. The use of povidone- iodine can contaminate the site and cause falsely elevated potassium levels. Routine Blood Collections- A phlebotomy technician is performing a venipuncture. After removing the needle cap, which of the following steps should the technician take? A. Position the needle at a 40 degree angle above the puncture site. B. Perform a "C" hold over the intended puncture site. C. Anchor the vein 2.5 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in) bellow the puncture site. D. Insert the needle quickly at the puncture site. Correct Answer is C. The technician should anchor the vein 2.5 to 5 cm below the puncture site to stabilize the vein before needle insertion. Routine Blood Collections- A phlebotomy technician is drawing blood through a hematoma. Which of the following errors should the technician expect to see in the specimen? A. Hemolysis B. Increased potassium C. Decreased electrolytes D. Increased epithelial tissue Correct Answer is A. Hemolysis occurs when red blood cells are ruptured by drawing through an existing hematoma. Routine Blood Collections- A phlebotomy technician is performing a venipuncture for a bilirubin test, a cold agglutinin titer, a CBC, and a PTT test. Which of the following tubes should the technician use? A. One light blue, two serum tops, and one lavender tube. B. One serum top, two purple, and one light blue tube. C. Two gray, one light yellow SPS, and one dark blue tube. D. One gray, two light yellow SPS, and one dark blue tube Correct Answer is A. The technician should use two serum tubes because bilirubin should be protected from light and the cold agglutinin titer must be kept warm. The technician should use the light blue tube for the PTT and the lavender tube for the CBC. Routine Blood Collections- A patient sits down for a venipuncture in an outpatient setting, rolls up her sleeve, and extends her arm. The patient turns her head away from Correct Answer is B. The Technician should apply pressure for at least 5 min or until the bleeding stops. Routine Blood Collections- A phlebotomy technician is preparing to perform a CBC for a 7 month old infant. Which of the following equipment will the technician need? A. Butterfly with a 21 -gauge needle and an EDTA evacuated tube B. ETS system with a 25-gauge needle and a SST evacuated tube C. Lancet with a 2 mm depth and an EDTA microcollection container D. Syringe with a 21-gauge needle and a SST evacuated tube Correct Answer is C. A lancet no deeper than 2mm should be used for a patient under 1 year of age. EDTA is the proper additive for the micro collection container that the technician would use. Routine Blood Collections - A phlebotomy technician is performing a venipuncture for a lipid profile, WBC, and a clotting time test. Which of the following is the correct draw order? A. Light blue, SST, lavender B. Purple, grey, light blue C. Serum, green, light yellow ACD D. Green, light yellow ACD, serum Correct Answer is A.The correct order of draw is the light blue tube, the SST tube, and then the lavender tube to prevent cross-contamination. Routine Blood Collections- A phlebotomy technician is performing venipuncture on a patient. When the technician inserts the needle, the vein collapses. Which of the following is a possible cause? A. Applying the tourniquet too tightly B. Inserting a smaller evacuated tube C. Applying the blood pressure cuff to 30 mm Hg D. Using a 25-guage needle and syringe Correct Answer is A. The technician should identify that applying a tourniquet too tightly will decrease blood flow and can cause vein collapse. Routine Blood Collections- A phlebotomy technician is preparing to collect a variety of blood specimens. Which of the following specimens should the technician collect first? A. Blood culture B. Cholesterol C. Complete blood count (CBC) D. Basic metabolic panel (BMP) Correct Answer is A. To avoid cross-contamination, the technician should always collect blood culture specimens first. Special Collections- A phlebotomy technician is preparing to process a WBC differential test, testosterone test, and a glucose test. Which of the following actions should the technician take to process these tests? A. Prepare a slide from a lavender -topped tube and centrifuge a red- topped tube and a gray- topped tube B. Prepare a slide from a gray- topped tube and centrifuge a light blue topped-tube and a red- topped tube. C. Prepare a slide from a red-topped tube and centrifuge a gray-topped tube and a lavender-topped tube. D. Prepare a slide from a light-blue topped tube and centrifuge a lavender -topped tube and a red- topped tube. Correct Answer is A. A WBC- differential test (lavender- topped tube) requires a blood smear. Testosterone (red-topped tube) and glucose (gray-topped tube) tests require centrifugal ion. Special collections- A phlebotomy technician is preparing a peripheral blood slide from a capillary puncture. Which of the following actions should the technician take? A. Pipette the blood onto the center of the slide. B. Pipette the blood 2.5 cm ( 1 in) from the end of the slide. C. Touch the slide to the first drop of blood. D. Touch the slide of the second drop of blood. Correct Answer is D. The technician should touch the slide to the second drop of blood for optimal specimen collection. Special Collections- A phlebotomy technician is using a syringe method to collect a blood cultures set, a PTT, and a CBC test. Which of the following should the technician identify as the proper order of the draw? A. Aerobic bottle, anaerobic bottle, EDTA, light blue-topped tube. B. Anaerobic bottle, aerobic bottle, light blue-topped tube, EDTA C. EDTA, light blue-topped tube, aerobic bottle, anaerobic bottle D. EDTA, light blue-topped tube, anaerobic bottle, aerobic bottle Correct Answer is B. Using a syringe, the technician should draw an anaerobic bottle first, followed by an aerobic bottle, a light blue topped tube, and finally EDTA Special collections- A phlebotomy technician is performing two sets of blood cultures for a patient. Which of the following actions should he technician take? A. Collect both sets from the same site after waiting about 4 hr. B. Collect one set from the antecubital region and one set from ventral part of the patient's hand. C. Collect one set from the patient's left arm and one set from a different site on the same arm. D. Collect one set from the capillary region and one set from the antecubital region. Correct Answer is C. The technician should draw from two separate sites, because this will provide the most accurate test results. Special collections- A phlebotomy technician is collecting a peripheral blood smear from a patient. The technician should identify that this collection technique is used for which of the following tests? A. WBC differential test B. Sedimentation rate (ESR) test C. Blood culture D. Arterial blood gas (ABG) test Correct Answer is A. The technician should collect a peripheral blood smear for a WBC differential test. A peripheral blood smear is the preferred collection method because it provides a one-cell layer, which allows for the visual differentiation of WBCs. Special Collections- A phlebotomy technician received a forensic specimen. The technician should verify that which of the following specimen information matches the requisition form? A. County clerk number B. Statute of limitations C. Attorney's name D. Case number Correct Answer is D. upon receiving a forensic specimen, the technician should verify that the requisition form matches the labeled evidence collected, including the type of specimen, the case number, and the name, age, and gender of the specimen donor. Special Collections- A phlebotomy technician is collecting capillary blood from a patient for neonatal screening. Which of the following actions should the technician take to complete the newborn screening card? A. Touch the paper to a drop of blood and saturate each circle of the card. B. Smear the blood onto the printed circles of the card. C. Layer several drops on the printed and non printed side of the card. D. Place multiple small drops on each circle of the card. Correct Answer is A. The technician should touch the paper to one large drop of blood to saturate each circle on the printed side of the card. Special collections- A phlebotomy technician is preparing to perform a neonatal screening test. The technician should identify that which of the following is the optional time to perform the test? A. Immediately after birth B. Between 24-72 hr after birth C. Between 12-18 hr after birth D. 6 hr after birth D. Blue-topped tube, yellow-topped tube, red-topped tube Correct Answer is A. The technician should identify that the correct order of draw in their situation is the blood culture first (yellow-topped tube) PPT (blue tipped tube) second, and tester one (red-topped tube) last. Special Collections- A phlebotomy technician should recognize the which of the following blood types is compatible with type O blood? A.Type O B. Type A C. Type AB D. Type B Correct Answer is A. Type O blood is only compatible with type O blood because of the interaction between the antigens and antibodies. Special Collections- A phlebotomy technician is instructing a patient about how to collect a fecal specimen at home. Which of the following instructions should the technician include? A. "Refrigerate the fecal sample after the collection." B. "Do not mix urine with the fecal sample." C. "Avoid washing the outside of the container following collection." D. "Scoop the fecal sample from the toilet into the container." Correct Answer is B. The technician should instruct the patient to avoid allowing urine into the container when collecting a fecal sample. Urine affects the micro-organisms in the feces, which can alter test results. Special Collections- A phlebotomy technician is performing a brief physical examination on a prospective blood donor. Which of the following measurements would indicate the donor's eligibility to donate blood?" A. Pulse rate 40/min B. Diastolic blood pressure 110 mm Hg C. Temperature 37.7 degrees C (99.8 degrees F) D. Hematocrit level 42% Correct Answer is D. The technician should identify that the patient's hematocrit level must be 38% or higher for the patient to be eligible to donate blood. Special Collections- A phlebotomy technician has collected a neonatal screening card. Which of the following actions should the technician take to properly dry the blood spot collection card? A. Place the card in direct sunlight. B. Allow the card to dry for 1 hr. C. Place the card on a flat, dry surface. D. Stack cards on a drying rack. Correct Answer is C. The technician should place the card on a flat, dry surface away from heat or sunlight for 4 hours. Processing Specimens- A phlebotomy technician is preparing to load two tubes into a centrifuge. Which of the following actions should the technician take? A. Place tubes of unequal volume adjacent to each other. B. Place tubes of equal volume adjacent to each other. C. Place tubes of unequal volume across from each other. D. Place tubes of equal volume across from each other. Correct Answer is D. the technician should place tubes of equal volume across from each other in the centrifuge. This prevents the tubes from breaking. Processing Specimens- A phlebotomy technician is preparing serum samples for centrifugation. How many minutes should the technician allow the serum samples to stand before loading them into the centrifuge? A. 10 min B. 15 min C. 25 min. D. 30 min. Correct Answer is D. the technician should allow the serum samples to stand for a minimum of 30 min for coagulation before loading them into centrifuge. Processing Specimens- A phlebotomy technician is preparing to draw a blood specimen that must be protected from the light. Which of the following laboratory tests will be performed on this specimen? A. CBC B. Bilirubin C. BMP D. Potassium Correct Answer is B. The technician should protect bilirubin specimens from light to prevent damage to the specimen. Processing Specimens- A phlebotomy technician working in a laboratory has received six filled evacuated tubes, one of which is missing a label. Which of the following actions should the technician take? A. Print a barcoded label for the unlabeled specimen. B. Process the unlabeled specimen as it was received. C. Recollect the unlabeled specimen. D. Hand-write a label for the unlabeled specimen. Correct Answer is C. A specimen with a missing label should be treated as a rejected specimen due to incomplete patient identification. The technician should recollect and label the specimen properly to ensure that the specimen is correctly identified. Processing Specimens- Which of the following actions should a phlebotomy technician take when collecting a urine specimen for drug testing? A. Assume implied consent from the patient. B. Implement sterile technique to obtain the specimen. C. Use the patient's social security card for identification D. Seal the specimen in a tamper-evident container. Correct Answer is D. The technician should seal the specimen container in a way that any tampering can be identified. Processing Specimens- A phlebotomy technician is preparing to obtain a forensic specimen to determine a patient's blood alcohol level. Which of the following information should the technician include on the chain of custody form? A. Date and time of specimen collection B. Method and date of specimen collection C. Witness name and signature D. Attorney's name and signature Correct Answer is A. The technician should identify that both the date and the time that the specimen was obtained are required on the chain of custody form. Processing Specimens- A phlebotomy technician has received a urine drug test specimen with a thermometer reading of 29.4 degree C (85 degree F). Which of the following actions should the technician take? A. Require the patient to provide a blood sample. B. Have the patient provide another urine specimen under observation. C. Accept the specimen for processing. D. Ask the patient is the specimen was altered. Correct Answer is B. If the technician suspects the sample has been tampered with, he should ask the patient to provide another urine specimen under direct observation to prevent any tampering. Processing Specimens- A phlebotomy technician has released a specimen to a courier who is transporting it to a laboratory. Which of the following statements should the courier use to instruct the medical specimen accessioner on how to complete the chain of custody from? A. "Make sure to check for ID." B. "Write your name on the form." C. "Keep two copies of the form." D. "List your phone number." Correct Answer is B. The accessioner should write their name on the form when receiving a specimen.