ASCP-MLT Practice Questions

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute initiated the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) in 1985. The goal was to reduce the number of Americans with elevated cholesterol and thus reduce illnesses and deaths in the United States due to coronary heart disease. Three adult treatment panels have been published since then with clinical practice guidelines for managing cholesterol levels in adults.

The most recent panel, Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III), was published in 2001 and updated in 2004. The NCEP: ATP III also includes criteria for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome.

Select the set of laboratory assays that are utilized in the NCEP: ATP III criteria for metabolic syndrome diagnosis.

The presence of hyaline, septate hyphae, and a young conidiophore with a foot cell and a swollen vesicle in a fungus culture are excellent clues indicative of Aspergillus. Aspergillus has the ability to infect primarily immunocompromised hosts, and causes pneumonia and/or disseminates to other organs. Clinical specimens should be inoculated onto primary isolation media, such as Sabouraud's dextrose agar. Aspergillus spp. are fast growing and can be white, yellow, yellow-brown, brown to black or green in color.

The presence of hyaline, septate hyphae, and a young conidiophore with a foot cell and a swollen vesicle in a fungus culture are excellent clues indicative of:

The creatinine clearance for this patient is 100 mL/min.

Creatinine clearance values are calculated using the following equation:

Creatinine Clearance (mL / min) = (Urine Creatinine / Serum Creatinine) x Urine Volume (mL) / [ time (hr) x 60 ]

For this patient Creatinine clearance (mL/min)= (120/1.5) x (1800 / [24 x 60])

80 x 1800/1440, which is 80 x 1.25, or 100 mL/min

A 45-year-old male of average height and weight had a serum creatinine of 1.5 mg/dL and urine creatinine was 120 mg/dL; the total volume of urine collected over a 24-hour period was 1,800 mL. Calculate the creatinine clearance for this patient in mL/min.

Blood Bank; Immunology

Which of the following best describes the primary function of antibodies:

Amniotic fluid bilirubin is increased in association with the severity of hemolytic diseases of the newborn. As red blood cells lyse during these conditions, bilirubin builds up as a byproduct of the red cell destruction. The more red blood cells that are being destroyed in the baby, the more increased the bilirubin level will become.

Which one of the following tests BEST correlates with the severity of hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN).

The A and B antigens are present on the red cells of an AB patient. H antigen is a precursor to the ABO antigens.

An individual with type AB blood will demonstrate the complete absence of which of the following antigen sites?

The laboratory uses flammable chemicals for processing and staining patient specimens. One type of chemical used is ethanol. What is the proper way to store this chemical in the laboratory?

HCG levels rise rapidly during the first trimester, then the levels start to decline around week 16. The hCG levels slowly decrease and can level off during the remainder of the pregnancy.

The following BEST describes serum hCG levels during pregnancy:

Which of the following organizations has developed standards to maintain the performance of the clinical laboratory at the highest standards for quality care?

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is used as an aid in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD). At low levels, it can detect those at risk for cardiac heart disease. At high levels in those with no history of heart disease, it indicates a high risk for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), stroke, or peripheral vascular disease. For patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or stable coronary disease, hs-CRP is used to predict future coronary events.

Ranges of hs-CRP in prediction of risk for CVD are:

<1.0 mg/L Low CVD risk

1.0-3.0 mg/L Average risk for CVD

>3.0 mg/L High risk for future CVD

If results are >10.0 mg/L, the patient should be evaluated for an acute inflammatory condition.

Chemistry

A high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) test result of 5 mg/L (normal = < 1 mg/L) may indicate which of the following?