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Questions and Answers
What is hemolysis primarily caused by?
What is hemolysis primarily caused by?
Which appearance is indicative of icterus in serum or plasma?
Which appearance is indicative of icterus in serum or plasma?
What condition results in serum that appears milky and white?
What condition results in serum that appears milky and white?
What is a common procedural error that can lead to lipemia?
What is a common procedural error that can lead to lipemia?
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What is the primary consequence of hemolysis during blood testing?
What is the primary consequence of hemolysis during blood testing?
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Study Notes
Specimen Quality: Overview
- Specimen quality refers to the condition of a blood sample, crucial for accurate lab results.
- Different conditions of blood samples, such as hemolysis, icterus, and lipemia, affect the quality and reliability of lab tests.
Hemolysis
- Hemolysis is the rupture or breaking of red blood cell membranes.
- The contents of the ruptured red blood cells contaminate the serum or plasma, making the specimen unsuitable for analysis.
- A darker red color indicates more hemolyzed cells.
- Common causes of hemolysis include:
- Drawing from a hematoma
- A small gauge needle
- Alcohol on the venipuncture site
- Air leakage and frothing of the blood
- Pulling the plunger with excessive force
- Extreme temperature changes
Icterus
- Icterus indicates a high bilirubin level in the serum or plasma.
- The patient's skin and sclera (whites of eyes) may appear yellow.
- Icteric serum or plasma has a yellow color.
- Icterus is often due to the patient's condition, not phlebotomy error.
Lipemia
- Lipemia signifies a high amount of fats and lipids in the blood sample.
- Lipemic serum or plasma appears white or milky.
- Lipemia is usually due to the patient's condition, like not fasting.
- Sometimes it can be a procedural error, where a phlebotomist didn't enforce fasting or diet restrictions.
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Description
This quiz covers the importance of specimen quality in laboratory testing, focusing on hemolysis and icterus. Understand how various conditions affect blood sample reliability and what factors contribute to sample degradation. Test your knowledge on maintaining optimal specimen conditions for accurate lab results.
