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15 multiple-choice questions and 6 flashcards on Patient/Specimen Identification and Preparation, about 9% of the Phlebotomy Technician Certification bank. Every one carries a written rationale.
Patient/Specimen Identification and Preparation is one of 5 chapters in CoStudy's Phlebotomy Technician Certification bank, and it holds 15 of the bank's 166 multiple-choice questions — roughly 9% of the total. That proportion is not arbitrary: chapters follow the certifying body's published exam outline, and the number of questions in each is set by that domain's published weight, so the share of your practice time this chapter takes matches the share of the real exam it accounts for.
Studying by chapter is worth doing once you have a diagnostic score. A single overall percentage tells you whether you are close; it does not tell you which domain is dragging. Working a weak chapter in isolation, and re-testing it in isolation, is the fastest way to move a score that has stalled — and it is why the mock exams in CoStudy report by domain rather than as one number.
9 questions drawn from this chapter, with the full rationale shown — the controlling principle behind the right answer, and why each wrong option tempts and fails.
Specimens should be labeled:
Answer: B — At the bedside immediately after collection, in the presence of the patient
A) Mix-up risk. B) Correct. C/D) Patient-safety violation.
Acceptable patient identifiers include:
Answer: A — Full name and date of birth
A) Correct — two-identifier standard. B) Beds can change — forbidden. C/D) Insufficient.
A half-right venipuncture procedure missing the bedside labeling step is:
Answer: C — A patient-safety violation — could lead to mistransfusion or misdiagnosis
A/B/D) Wrong. C) Correct — labeling at bedside is mandatory.
For blood bank specimens, identification typically requires:
Answer: A — Enhanced identification including a unique armband or transfusion ID
A) Correct. B) Insufficient for transfusion. C/D) Wrong.
Which challenge is most specific to venipuncture on a bariatric patient?
Answer: D — Difficulty locating and anchoring veins due to excess adipose tissue, often requiring a longer needle and careful palpation
A) Rolling veins are more typical of geriatric patients with loose skin, not primarily a bariatric concern. B) Syncope risk is not inherently higher for bariatric patients specifically. C) Venipuncture is still the standard method; capillary puncture is not mandated. D) Correct — excess adipose tissue can obscure and displace veins, so careful palpation, an appropriately longer needle, and sometimes a blood pressure cuff instead of a tourniquet are used.
A phlebotomist is assigned to draw blood from a 92-year-old patient with thin, fragile skin and collapsible veins. Which technique adjustment is MOST appropriate?
Answer: C — Use a smaller-gauge needle, minimal or no tourniquet pressure, and anchor the vein firmly to prevent rolling or collapse
A) A larger needle increases the risk of blowing a fragile vein. B) Prolonged, tight tourniquet application on fragile skin risks bruising and does not address vein stabilization. C) Correct — geriatric patients often have fragile, mobile veins; a smaller gauge, gentle or no tourniquet, and firm anchoring below the site reduce hematoma and vein rupture risk. D) A steep angle is inappropriate for superficial, fragile veins and increases the risk of puncturing through the vein.
An oncology patient receiving chemotherapy has scarred, sclerosed veins in both antecubital areas from repeated draws. What is the BEST course of action?
Answer: A — Select an alternate site distal to the sclerosed area or use a different limb, and consider a smaller device such as a butterfly
A) Correct — assessing for an alternate, healthier site (or the opposite arm) and using a smaller-gauge butterfly system improves success and patient comfort. B) Sclerosed veins are hardened and often non-patent, yielding poor or no flow and causing patient discomfort. C) Increased tourniquet pressure will not restore flow through a sclerosed vein and increases hematoma risk. D) Rescheduling is not necessary when a viable alternate site exists.
In outpatient settings, two-identifier verification should compare:
Answer: A — Patient's stated information AND a photo ID or matching demographic per policy
A) Correct. B/C/D) Insufficient alone.
Documentation of a refused draw should include:
Answer: A — Date, time, reason given by patient, and who was notified
A) Correct — refusal documentation should capture date, time, the patient's stated reason, and who was notified. B) Initials and time alone omit the reason and notification facilities require for liability protection. C) Recording only that the patient refused, without reason or notification, is insufficient. D) The patient's full medical history is unrelated to documenting a refusal and exceeds the phlebotomist's scope.
3 cards from the 6 in this chapter.
Patient identification?
Two-identifier rule: name + DOB. Compare to requisition AND patient's stated info AND wristband. NEVER rely on room number.
Specimen labeling?
Immediately after draw, at the patient's side. Patient name, DOB, MRN, date + time, collector's initials. Mislabeled specimens are rejected — major patient safety issue.
Why are geriatric patients at higher risk for hematoma during venipuncture?
Aging skin and vessel walls lose elasticity and subcutaneous support, making veins more fragile and prone to leaking after puncture; minimal tourniquet time and gentle technique help reduce this risk.
These are a sample. The full Patient/Specimen Identification and Preparation chapter runs 21 items with per-chapter progress tracking, on the web and in the iOS app.
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