MLPAO - Medical Laboratory Professionals Association of Ontario Laboratory Safety and Quality Questions and Answers

Question 1

A medical laboratory professional is reviewing the daily quality control data for a glucose assay on a Levey-Jennings chart.
The last five consecutive control values have all plotted on the same side of the mean, but are still within ±2 standard deviations.
Which of the following does this pattern most likely indicate?

Accepted Answer

A systematic error is developing.

Answer

A random error has occurred.

Answer

The control material is contaminated.

Answer

The instrument is functioning optimally.

Question 2

Which of the following activities is considered part of Quality Assurance (QA) but not Quality Control (QC) in a clinical laboratory setting?

Accepted Answer

Reviewing and updating the laboratory's standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Answer

Running daily control samples on an analyzer.

Answer

Performing preventative maintenance on an instrument.

Answer

Calibrating a new reagent lot before use.

Question 3

According to the Canadian Biosafety Standard (CBS), a laboratory routinely handling clinical specimens containing Mycobacterium tuberculosis, an agent that can cause serious disease and is transmissible by inhalation, must operate at which minimum Containment Level (CL)?

Accepted Answer

Containment Level 3 (CL3)

Answer

Containment Level 1 (CL1)

Answer

Containment Level 4 (CL4)

Answer

Containment Level 2 (CL2)

Question 4

A medical laboratory assistant receives an unlabeled tube of blood for a complete blood count (CBC). The requisition form is present and correctly filled out. What is the most appropriate immediate action?

Accepted Answer

Reject the specimen and request a new, properly labeled sample be collected.

Answer

Label the tube with the patient's information from the requisition and process the sample.

Answer

Ask a coworker for their opinion on what to do with the specimen.

Answer

Process the sample and add a note to the report that the initial specimen was unlabeled.

Question 5

While unpacking a shipment of chemicals, a laboratory professional encounters a container with this WHMIS 2015 pictogram: a skull and crossbones. What type of hazard does this symbol represent?

Accepted Answer

Acute Toxicity (Fatal or Toxic)

Answer

Flammability Hazard

Answer

Biohazardous Infectious Materials

Answer

Corrosion Hazard

Question 6

During the total testing process, the majority of laboratory errors occur in which phase?

Accepted Answer

Pre-analytical phase

Answer

Analytical phase

Answer

Post-analytical phase

Answer

Reporting phase