Non-Blood Specimen Collection Flashcards
6 cards from real PCT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Non-Blood Specimen Collection flashcards as text
When collecting a throat swab specimen, the PCT should swab which area?
Answer: The back of the throat, tonsils, and any areas of redness or exudate
The tonsillar area and posterior pharynx are where pathogens like Group A Streptococcus colonize, and areas of exudate have the highest bacterial concentration.
Which type of urine specimen is used for routine urinalysis?
Answer: Random (routine) voided specimen
A random voided specimen is the standard collection method for routine urinalysis as it is non-invasive and provides adequate information for screening.
A wound culture specimen should be collected from:
Answer: The wound edges and base after cleaning the surface with saline
After gentle cleaning to remove surface contaminants, swabbing the wound edges and base captures the actively infecting organisms rather than surface colonizers.
What is the purpose of a urine specific gravity test?
Answer: To measure the kidney's ability to concentrate or dilute urine
Specific gravity measures the concentration of dissolved substances in urine, reflecting the kidney's concentrating ability and the patient's hydration status.
When collecting a stool specimen for ova and parasites (O&P), the specimen should be:
Answer: Delivered to the laboratory while still warm or placed in preservative immediately
Parasites and their ova are best identified when the specimen is fresh and warm, as cooling kills trophozoites and makes identification difficult.
Which action could cause a urine specimen to be rejected by the laboratory?
Answer: Submitting a specimen with no patient identification label
An unlabeled specimen cannot be matched to a patient and poses a serious patient safety risk, making it grounds for automatic rejection.