Certified Phlebotomy Technician Safety and Compliance Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A phlebotomist is tasked with collecting blood for a coagulation test, a complete blood count (CBC), and a blood culture. According to CLSI guidelines, what is the correct order of draw for these tests?
- Coagulation tube, Blood culture, CBC tube
- Blood culture, Coagulation tube, CBC tube (Correct answer)
- CBC tube, Blood culture, Coagulation tube
- Blood culture, CBC tube, Coagulation tube
Correct answer: Blood culture, Coagulation tube, CBC tube
The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) establishes the standard order of draw to prevent cross-contamination of additives between tubes. The correct sequence begins with blood culture tubes to maintain sterility, followed by coagulation tubes (e.g., light blue top) to prevent contamination from clot activators, and then tubes with other additives like the EDTA tube (e.g., lavender top) for a CBC.
Question 2: While preparing to draw blood from an inpatient, the phlebotomist notices that the name on the requisition form matches the name the patient states, but the date of birth on the requisition form is different from the patient's armband. What is the most appropriate action for the phlebotomist to take?
- Proceed with the draw since the name is correct.
- Correct the date of birth on the requisition form and then proceed.
- Ask a nurse to confirm the patient's identity and resolve the discrepancy before drawing blood. (Correct answer)
- Draw the blood and make a note of the discrepancy on the sample label.
Correct answer: Ask a nurse to confirm the patient's identity and resolve the discrepancy before drawing blood.
Patient safety and specimen accuracy are paramount. Any discrepancy in patient identification information must be resolved before the blood collection proceeds. The phlebotomist should not attempt to correct the information themselves or proceed with the draw. Involving the nursing staff is the correct protocol to ensure the patient is properly identified and the records are corrected.
Question 3: Which of the following is a key requirement of the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act?
- Mandating that all phlebotomists receive the Hepatitis C vaccine.
- Requiring patients to be informed of the type of needle being used.
- Requiring employers to involve non-managerial employees in the evaluation and selection of safer medical devices. (Correct answer)
- Prohibiting the use of butterfly needles on pediatric patients.
Correct answer: Requiring employers to involve non-managerial employees in the evaluation and selection of safer medical devices.
The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act amended the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard to include several new requirements. A significant one is the mandate for employers to solicit input from frontline, non-managerial employees who are responsible for direct patient care in identifying, evaluating, and selecting effective engineering and work practice controls, such as safety-engineered sharps devices.
Question 4: A phlebotomist accidentally sustains a needlestick injury after performing a venipuncture. After immediately washing the area with soap and water, what is the next critical step in compliance with OSHA regulations?
- Complete an incident report and inform their supervisor. (Correct answer)
- Go to the emergency room for immediate testing.
- Ask the patient about their medical history.
- Discard the needle in the regular trash.
Correct answer: Complete an incident report and inform their supervisor.
Following immediate first aid (washing the site), the next essential step is to report the exposure to their supervisor and complete the necessary incident/exposure report. This initiates the facility's post-exposure evaluation and follow-up protocol, which is a requirement of the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard.
Question 5: How should a phlebotomist properly dispose of a full, sealed sharps container?
- Place it in the regular trash bin.
- Empty the contents into a larger sharps container.
- Place it in a designated biohazard waste collection bin for pickup. (Correct answer)
- Take it to a local pharmacy for disposal.
Correct answer: Place it in a designated biohazard waste collection bin for pickup.
Full and sealed sharps containers are considered regulated medical waste (biohazardous waste). They must be placed into a designated, leak-proof, and properly labeled secondary container or bin for disposal by a licensed medical waste management company, in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations.
Question 6: Which of the following Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is most essential for a phlebotomist to wear during a routine venipuncture procedure to comply with standard precautions?
- A fluid-resistant gown
- Gloves (Correct answer)
- A face shield
- Shoe covers
Correct answer: Gloves
According to OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard and the principle of Universal/Standard Precautions, gloves must be worn when it can be reasonably anticipated that the employee may have hand contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials. This makes gloves the most essential and required piece of PPE for a routine venipuncture.
Certified Phlebotomy Technician Safety and Compliance Questions and Answers
A phlebotomist is tasked with collecting blood for a coagulation test, a complete blood count (CBC), and a blood culture.
According to CLSI guidelines, what is the correct order of draw for these tests?