Important Types of Tests

Question 1

Cold Agglutinin

Answer 1

Drawn in SST(Tiger/Gold) Type of Specimen: Serum. Needs to be placed in a warm bath (wrap in heel warmer).

Question 2

Ammonia

Answer 2

Drawn in Green Top (NOT Ammonium Heparin Tube), Type of Specimen: Plasma. Must be paced on ice immediately.

Question 3

Cryoglobulin

Answer 3

Drawn in SST(Tiger/Gold), Type of Specimen: Serum. Needs to be placed in a warm bath (wrap in heel warmer).

Question 4

Lipid Panel

Answer 4

Drawn in SST(Tiger/Gold), Type of Specimen: Serum. Patient must be fasting.

Question 5

Glucose (GTT,FBS)

Answer 5

Drawn in Gray Top, Type of Specimen: Plasma. Patient must be fasting

Question 6

Cortisol Level

Answer 6

Drawn in SST(Tiger/Gold), Type of Specimen: Serum. Two different cortisol tests – AM and PM Levels. Timing can greatly affect the results of this test.

Question 7

ACTH

Answer 7

Drawn in Lavender Top, Type of Specimen: Plasma. Must be drawn in the early morning

Question 8

Lactate (Lactic Acid)

Answer 8

Drawn in Gray Top, Type of Specimen: Plasma. Place on ice immediately.

Question 9

Bilirubin

Answer 9

Drawn in SST(Tiger/Gold) Top, Type of Specimen: Serum. Must protect sample from light

Question 10

B12/Folic Acid/B6

Answer 10

Drawn in SST(Tiger/Gold), Type of Specimen: Serum. Must protect from light

Question 11

ABG (Arterial Blood Gas)

Answer 11

Drawn in Heparinized Syringe, Type of Specimen: Whole Blood. Must be placed on ice (done by RT).

Question 12

Troponin

Answer 12

Drawn in SST(Tiger/Gold), Type of Specimen: Serum. Normally ordered STAT. (in some facilities the sample will be drawn in a green top).

Question 13

CBC

Answer 13

Drawn in Lavender Top, Type of Specimen: Whole Blood. Most commonly ordered lab test.

Question 14

Differential

Answer 14

Drawn in Lavender Top, Type of Specimen: Whole Blood. Smeared onto a glass slide. Counts the 5 different types of
WBC’s.

Question 15

PT-INR

Answer 15

Drawn in Lt Blue Top, Type of Specimen: Plasma. Checks for Extrinsic Coagulation Factors.

Question 16

PTT

Answer 16

Drawn in Lt Blue Top, Type of Specimen: Plasma. Checks for Intrinsic Coagulation Factors.

Question 17

Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate/ESR/Sed Rate

Answer 17

Drawn in Lavender or Black ESR Top, Type of Specimen: Whole Blood. Checks for inflammation.

Question 18

Lead

Answer 18

–Drawn in Tan or Royal Blue Trace Element Top with EDTA, Type of Specimen: Plasma. Checks for lead in blood.

Question 19

Gram Stain

Answer 19

Body fluid smeared onto a glass slide and stained in the machine to be evaluated under a microscope

Question 20

Alcohol/Ethanol

Answer 20

Drawn in Gray Top, Type of Specimen: Plasma. DO NOT use alcohol to clean site. Chain of Custody Test.

Question 21

Complete Metabolic Panel/CMP

Answer 21

Drawn in SST(Tiger/Gold), Type of Specimen: Serum. Patient should be fasting. Specimen cannot be hemolyzed.

Question 22

Blood Urea Nitrogen/BUN

Answer 22

Drawn in SST(Tiger/Gold), Type of Specimen: Serum. Renal or Kidney disease.

Question 23

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone/TSH

Answer 23

Drawn in SST(Tiger/Gold), Type of Specimen: Serum. Checks for thyroid gland problems.

Question 24

Hemoglobin A1C

Answer 24

Drawn in Lavender Top, Type of Specimen: Whole Blood. Measures the average glucose level in blood for the past 4-6 weeks.

Question 25

Blood Culture

Answer 25

Drawn in Yellow SPS Tube/Blood Culture Bottles (aerobic & anaerobic), Type of Specimen: Whole Blood. Checks for the presence of microorganisms in the blood.

Question 26

Type and Crossmatch/T&C

Answer 26

Drawn in Pink Top, Type of Specimen: Whole Blood. Compatibility test to see if units of blood will match patient.