Phlebotomy Plan

Special Collections: practice questions

3 original questions · 3 editor-approved · every choice explained.

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Blueprint-mapped questions with full rationales for every choice.

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Special CollectionsDifficulty 3/5

Why does blood alcohol collection require a specific skin preparation?

  1. AAn alcohol-based antiseptic interferes with the additive in the collection tube
  2. BAn alcohol-based antiseptic is not effective against skin flora at the draw site
  3. CAn alcohol-based antiseptic could contaminate the specimen and raise the result
  4. DAn alcohol-based antiseptic dries too slowly and delays the collection process
Show answer and rationale

Correct: C. Knowledge statement k85 gives skin preparation for blood alcohol its own entry precisely because the routine antiseptic is the contaminant. Blood alcohol work also requires chain of custody.

  • D — Drying time is a general technique concern and is not why the preparation differs here.
  • A — The interference is with the analyte being measured, not with the tube additive.
  • B — Alcohol antiseptics are effective; the problem is what they are made of, not their efficacy.
Special CollectionsDifficulty 3/5

Why is skin preparation especially rigorous for blood culture collection?

  1. ASkin flora entering the bottle produces a false negative and a missed infection
  2. BInadequate preparation reduces the volume of blood the bottle will accept
  3. CInadequate preparation prevents the culture bottle from being drawn first
  4. DSkin flora entering the bottle produces a false positive and unnecessary treatment
Show answer and rationale

Correct: D. A contaminated culture grows organisms from the skin rather than the bloodstream, and the patient is treated for an infection they do not have. That consequence is why techniques and locations for skin prep have their own knowledge statement.

  • A — Contamination adds organisms rather than masking them, so the error is a false positive.
  • B — Skin preparation does not affect the vacuum or capacity of the culture bottle.
  • C — Draw order is set by the CLSI sequence and is unaffected by preparation quality.
Special CollectionsDifficulty 3/5

Why does the test plan require calculating volume requirements for pediatric and geriatric patients?

  1. ATo avoid causing illness in the patient through the volume collected
  2. BTo ensure the laboratory receives the maximum volume each tube allows
  3. CTo determine which closure colour the collection tube should carry
  4. DTo establish how many tube inversions the specimen will require
Show answer and rationale

Correct: A. Task 4E states the purpose directly: calculate or look up volume requirements in patients at higher risk to avoid illness caused by the collection. Pediatric volume calculation has its own knowledge statement at k83.

  • B — Maximising volume is the opposite of the concern for an at-risk patient.
  • C — Tube selection follows the test ordered, not the patient's age.
  • D — Inversion counts come from the tube manufacturer and are unrelated to patient volume.

Primary references

  1. NHA Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) — Test Plan for the CPT Exam — National Healthcareer Association (NHA) · primary · retrieved 2026-09-22, verified 2026-09-22