ASPT ASPT Quality Assurance & Laboratory Operations 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the purpose of a delta check in laboratory quality assurance?
- Verify equipment calibration
- Compare a patient's current result to a previous result to flag unusual changes (Correct answer)
- Confirm correct patient identification
- Ensure reagent expiration dates are valid
Correct answer: Compare a patient's current result to a previous result to flag unusual changes
A delta check compares a patient's current lab result with a prior result to detect significant discrepancies that may indicate errors or critical patient changes.
Question 2: Which organization sets the standards for laboratory quality and proficiency testing in the US under CLIA?
- CDC
- CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) (Correct answer)
- OSHA
- FDA
Correct answer: CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
CMS oversees CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) regulations, which establish quality standards for all US laboratory testing on human specimens.
Question 3: What does QC (quality control) in phlebotomy primarily ensure?
- Staff scheduling is accurate
- Test results are reliable, accurate, and reproducible (Correct answer)
- Patient billing is correct
- Tube labels are printed correctly
Correct answer: Test results are reliable, accurate, and reproducible
Quality control in phlebotomy and the laboratory ensures that test results are reliable, accurate, and reproducible by monitoring processes and equipment performance.
Question 4: What is the correct action when a quality control result falls outside the acceptable range?
- Report patient results anyway
- Document and investigate the failure before reporting patient results (Correct answer)
- Repeat QC once without documentation
- Call the physician immediately
Correct answer: Document and investigate the failure before reporting patient results
When QC fails, the phlebotomist or lab tech must document the failure, investigate the cause, and resolve the issue before releasing patient test results.
Question 5: Which type of error occurs when a specimen is collected from the wrong patient?
- Analytical error
- Pre-analytical error (Correct answer)
- Post-analytical error
- Random error
Correct answer: Pre-analytical error
Collecting a specimen from the wrong patient is a pre-analytical error, occurring before testing begins, and is one of the most serious phlebotomy mistakes.
Question 6: How often should a phlebotomist typically verify the expiration date of collection tubes?
- Only when opening a new box
- At the start of each shift or before each use (Correct answer)
- Annually during inventory review
- Only if a result appears abnormal
Correct answer: At the start of each shift or before each use
Phlebotomists should check tube expiration dates at the start of each shift or before use to ensure additives are effective and results are valid.
ASPT ASPT Quality Assurance & Laboratory Operations 1
What is the purpose of a delta check in laboratory quality assurance?