Ascp Review

Front 1

During which stage in real-time PCR can the fluorescent signal start to be recorded?

Back 1

Exponential stage

In real-time PCR the fluorescent signal is generally too low to detect until after the first couple of cycles. However, detection usually occurs before the end of the exponential stage.

Front 2

What is currently considered to be a good test for screening persons for hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) due to its sensitivity and specificity for iron overload?

Back 2

Transferrin Saturation

Front 3

What is hs-CRP?

Back 3

High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein

Front 4

What is a C-Reactive Protein?

Back 4

C-reactive protein is an annular, pentameric protein found in the blood plasma, the levels of which rise in response to inflammation

Front 5

A patient who previously had an hs-CRP of 4 mg/L was put on statin and daily aspirin medication. She returns to the laboratory a month later, and her repeat hs-CRP is 2.3 mg/L. What is the most likely reason for the decrease in the test value?

Back 5

The medications (a cholesterol-lowering statin and the anti-inflammatory aspirin) can lower hs-CRP.

Front 6

In order to speciate a swarming Proteus organism found on an eosin methylene blue agar plate, the BEST approach would be to:

Back 6

the BEST approach would be to determine Indole production, phenylalanine and urease activity. P. mirablis is strongly urease and phenylalanine positive. P. mirabilis is usually indole-negative- which is helpful to differentiate this organism from P. vulgaris which is indole-positive.

Front 7

Which of the following lipoproteins will form a creamy layer at the top of stored, non-fasting plasma specimens?

Back 7

Chylomicrons

(Normally absent in fasting specimens)

Front 8

What clinical characteristics might a person with beta thalassemia intermedia exhibit?

Back 8

Some splenomagly

Growth and development in children with beta thalassemia intermedia is usually normal and most patients have a normal life span. However, they can demonstrate splenomegaly and some facial bone deformity.

Front 9

An automated method for measuring chloride which generates silver ions in the reaction is called:

Back 9

Coulometry

Front 10

What is coulometry?

Back 10

Coulometry operates on the principle of Faraday's law in which a silver anode releases silver ions (titration) at a constant rate when a constant potential is applied. The silver ions react with chloride in a fixed volume of solution to form silver chloride. The time it takes for the chloride in the unknown solution to react with the silver ions is proportional to the chloride activity in the sample.

Front 11

What best describes HbA1C?

Back 11

HbA1C is the nonenzymatic addition of a glucose molecule to Hb A. After a rearrangement, the addition is irreversible. The concentration of HbA1C relates to the individual's average glucose concentration over 2 - 3 months

Front 12

The serum hemolytic complement level (CH50):

Back 12

Total hemolytic complement, or CH50, is an assay used to evaluate the complete complement sequence. CH50 is often decreased in SLE, glomerulonephritis and other immune complex diseases. A normal CH50 level indicates that all the components, C1 through C9, are present.

Front 13

The ultimate end product of both epinephrine and norepinephrine metabolism is:

Back 13

vanillylmandellic acid (VMA)

Front 14

Calcium and phosphorus levels were determined for a 4-year-old patient as follows:

Ca - 14mg/dl
Phosphorus - 1mg/dl

These results are MOST compatible with:

Back 14

hyperparathyroidism

Front 15

Which organism is sensitive to bacitracin:

Back 15

Group A Streptococcus is suseptible to bacitracin. Group B Streptococcus, Group D Streptococcus, and Staphylococci are resistant to bacitracin.

Front 16

An abdominal wound culture grows E. coli on the aerobic culture. The anaerobic culture has growth of two gram negative rods, one of which is aerobic. The other gram negative rod has 2+ growth on BBE plate and is resistant to Kanamycin, Colistin, and Vancomycin disc. This organism can be identified as:

Back 16

Bacteroides fragilis group

Front 17

When is a trough blood sample for therapeutic drug monitoring usually obtained?

Back 17

A trough blood sample for therapeutic drug monitoring is usually obtained just before the next scheduled dose.

Front 18

If a test is said to have a sensitivity of 95%, it will :

Back 18

Miss 5 out of 100 true positives

Front 19

What is the maximum interval during which a recipient sample may be used for crossmatching if the patient has been recently transfused, has been pregnant within the past 3 months, or if relevant medical/transfusion history is unknown?

Back 19

Generally, 3 days is used as the maximum interval for all recipient samples in most blood banks.

Front 20

In patients with suspected primary hypothyroidism associated with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, one would expect the following laboratory test results:
T4 ___? TSH ___? TRH stimulation ___?

Back 20

decreased, increased, increased

Front 21

Hashimoto's thyroiditis

Back 21

In Hashimoto's, antibodies react against proteins in the thyroid gland, causing gradual destruction of the gland itself, and making the gland unable to produce the thyroid hormones the body needs. Therefore the T4 is decreased, but the TSH is increased since the pituitary gland is attempting to stimulate the failing thyroid gland. The TRH stimulation is increased since the pituitary gland is working and is able to produce elevated levels of TSH upon TRH stimulation.

Front 22

Most common methods for measuring bilirubin are based on the reaction of bilirubin with:

Back 22

Diazotized sulfanilic acid (diazo reagent) reacts with bilirubin to produce colored azodipyrroles, which are measured spectrophotometrically.

Front 23

If a Brucella species is suspected in a blood culture it should be held for a maximum of how many days on a commercial blood culture system?

Back 23

If a Brucella species is suspected in a blood culture it should be held for a maximum of 10-14 days on a commercial blood culture system.

Front 24

What characteristic is common to all of these conditions: hereditary spherocytosis, hereditary elliptocytosis, hereditary stomatocytosis, and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria?

Back 24

Red cell membrane defects

Front 25

What adipocyte products is an important messenger in metabolism, signaling the hypothalamus that there are changes in fat stores?

Back 25

Leptin signals the hypothalamus that there are changes in fat stores.

Front 26

The Iodine prep method is used to detect which of the following protozoan stages:

Back 26

Iodine mounts are helpful to visualize the internal structures of parasites such as protozoan cysts

Front 27

What is a hapten?

Back 27

It is an incomplete antigen.

Front 28

The rheumatoid factor in rheumatoid arthritis is PRIMARILY which type of immunoglobulin?

Back 28

IgM

Front 29

Which class of antibody is able to agglutinate RBC’s after anti-human globulin is added?

Back 29

IgG

Front 30

A simple check which can be employed to verify that hemoglobin and hematocrit values match would be:

Back 30

The hematocrit is equal to approximately 3 times the hemoglobin level.

Front 31

Which of the following species of Mycobacterium might be associated with contamination of the hot water system in large institutions such as hospitals?

Back 31

M. xenopi

Front 32

What CD Markers are present on mature T-Cells?

Back 32

Normal mature T cells should express CD2, CD3, CD5 and CD7.