blood sampling and collecting study questions

Question 1

Name an error in preparing equipment to obtain a blood sample that can cause degradation of the sample

Answer 1

Correct size tube to minimize damage to the sample

Question 2

Which anticoagulant is preferred for CBCs?

Answer 2

EDTA

Question 3

Which anticoagulant is usually used for blood chemistry tests where plasma is required?

Answer 3

Heparin

Question 4

When using a vacutainer tube, why is it important to fill the tube with blood up to the fill line?

Answer 4

Correct ratio of blood to anticoagulant

Question 5

What is in each of these vacutainer tubes? Red, lavender, green?

Answer 5

nothing, EDTA, heparin

Question 6

What is a serum separator tube (SST) What color(s) stopper does it have?

Answer 6

Stimulates the blood to clot faster and separates the clotted blood from the serum; tiger

Question 7

Explain how you should transfer blood into a vacutainer if a syringe was used to draw the blood?

Answer 7

• Remove needle from syringe
• remove stopper from tube
• transfer

Question 8

If serum is needed, how long must the blood stand to allow the clot to form? How long do you centrifuge and at what speed?

Answer 8

20-30 minutes; 2000 to 3000 rpm for 10 minutes

Question 9

After you centrifuge clotted blood, you should immediately pipette the serum into a separate test tube. Why?

Answer 9

Eliminates the possibility of the cells in the clot from altering the results

Question 10

You use a syringe to draw blood and then transfer it to a purple top vacutainer. What should you NOT do to get the blood to leave the syringe and enter the tube?

Answer 10

Push it through a needle

Question 11

What causes lipemia?

Answer 11

Not fasting the patient 8-12 hrs prior to sample collection

Question 12

You’ve drawn a sample for a cbc into a lavender vacutainer and mixed it. You will not be actually running the test until later in the day. What should you do right away, before storing the sample in the refrigerator?

Answer 12

Make your smears for the differential

Question 13

List 2 differences between serum and plasma.

Answer 13

Plasma is the fluid portion of whole blood: 90% water 10% dissolved constituents; Serum is the liquid minus blood cells and clotting elements (plasma without fibrinogen)

Question 14

If you need serum for a blood chemistry test, what color vacutainer should you collect it in?

Answer 14

red

Question 15

If you need plasma for a blood chemistry test, what color vacutainer should you collect it in?

Answer 15

green

Question 16

Why is important to minimize stress to the patient when drawing blood for chemistry tests?

Answer 16

Stress alters the results

Question 17

Why is it important to separate serum from the clot by transferring it to another container?

Answer 17

Eliminates the possibility of the cells in the clot from altering the results

Question 18

What parts of blood can be frozen? If whole blood (mixed with anticoagulant) can’t be tested right away, how should it be stored?

Answer 18

Plasma and serum; Refrigerated

Question 19

If you need a 3 ml serum or plasma sample, what is the minimum amount of blood do you have to draw from the pet?

Answer 19

2.5 the mls needed so 2.5 X 3ml =7.5ml