Medical Lab Procedures Part 2

Front 1

What types of specimens are typically analzyed for chemistry testing?

Back 1

serum
plasma
whole blood
other body fluids

Front 2

renal function, liver function, thyroid function, cardiac function, pancreatic function, levels of lipids & lipoproteins

Back 2

Body functions that chemistry test panels evaluate

Front 3

What is a spectrophotometer, and what is its principle use?

Back 3

an instrument that measures light in a solution to determine the concentration of substances in it; widely used to measure various substances in pts blood

Front 4

What tests can a doctor use to test for renal function?

Back 4

BUN
Creatinine
Electrolyte levels
Uric acid

Front 5

What electrolytes are found in the blood?

Back 5

Sodium
Magnesium
Bicarbonate
Calcium
Chloride
Phosphorus
Potassium

Front 6

What is the chemical symbol for sodium?

Back 6

Na

Front 7

What is hyponatremia, and what can cause it?

Back 7

low levels of sodium; <135 mEq/L; gastrointestinal losses, severe burns, cardiac & renal failure

Front 8

What is hypernatremia, and what can cause it?

Back 8

high levels of sodium; >145 mEq/L; drug therapy, Cushing's syndrome, and diabetes insipidus

Front 9

What is the chemical symbol for potassium?

Back 9

K

Front 10

what conditions can an abnormal potassium level cause?

Back 10

muscle weekness
paralysis
cardiac arrhythmias

Front 11

Hypokalemia

Back 11

low potassium; <35 mEq/L

Front 12

Hyperkalemia

Back 12

high potassium; >50 mEq/L

Front 13

What can cause an artifactual hyperkalemia?

Back 13

result from a traumatic venipuncture, hemolysis of RBCs, or if the tourniquet is on pts arm too long or too tightly when blood is drawn

Front 14

What is the chemical symbol for chloride

Back 14

Cl

Front 15

What is the chemical symbol of calcium?

Back 15

Ca

Front 16

Hypocalcemia

Back 16

low calcium; <8.5 mg/dL

Front 17

Hypercalcemia

Back 17

high calcium; >10.5 mg/dL

Front 18

What is the chemical symbol for magnesium?

Back 18

Mg

Front 19

What is the chemical symbol for bicarbonate?

Back 19

HCO3

Front 20

What is the normal range for bicarbonate?

Back 20

22-29 mmoles/L of total CO2

Front 21

What role does bicarbonate play?

Back 21

major role in delicate acid-base balance

Front 22

What is urea?

Back 22

waste product that forms in the liver

Front 23

What does "BUN" stand for?

Back 23

BLOOD UREA NITROGEN

Front 24

What can cause an elevated BUN?

Back 24

LIVER & RENAL FUNCTIONS

Front 25

What is creatinine?

Back 25

waste product of creatine (chemical compound in body that is used to store energy)

Front 26

Creatinine can be useful in the evaluation of ________ function.

Back 26

RENAL

Front 27

What is uric acid?

Back 27

byproduct of protein metabolism in the blood

Front 28

Patients with _____ have high _________ buildup in their joints. _________ fluid may be examined under the microscope for the presence of uric acid crystals.

Back 28

gout; uric acid; synovial (joint)

Front 29

What are the major functions of the liver?

Back 29

*production of bile
*metabolism of many compounds used by the body
*processing of bilirubin
*detoxifying substances in the bloodwww

Front 30

What tests are helpful in the evaluation of liver function?

Back 30

*bilirubin
*alkaline phosphatase (ALP)
*alanine aminotransferase (ALT)
*aspartate aminotransferase (AST)
*albumin

Front 31

What is bilirubin?

Back 31

substance that's produced as a byproduct of Hgb breakdown

Front 32

Bilirubin is commonly measured to determine the health of the ______. Any specimen that will be tested for bilirubin must be protected from exposure to ______.

Back 32

liver; light

Front 33

protein produced by living cells that speeds up chemical reactions

Back 33

ENZYME

Front 34

List three of the enzymes present in the liver.

Back 34

ALP, ALT, AST

Front 35

where in the body can ALP be found?

Back 35

*bones
*liver
*intestines
*kidneys
*placenta

Front 36

In what conditions would high levels of ALP be considered normal?

Back 36

*PERIODS OF BONE GROWTH
*CHILDHOOD GROWTH SPURTS
*THIRD TRIMESTER OF PREGNANCY

Front 37

What can cause increased levels of ALT & AST?

Back 37

*ORGAN DAMAGE
*SOME MEDICATIONS

Front 38

What is the role of albumin?

Back 38

binds & transports substances in the blood; helps to maintain fluid balance in the body's tissues

Front 39

What can cause decreased levels of albumin?

Back 39

*malnutrition & muscle-wasting diseases
*liver disease that makes liver cells unable to produce albumin
*excessive loss in urine due to renal disease
*inflammation of the intestinal tract
*burns

Front 40

The thyroid gland regulates the body's metabolism by secreting two hormones--________ & ________. The thyroid galnd is controlled by the hormone ___________.

Back 40

TRIIODOTHYRONINE (T3); THYROXIN (T4); THYROID-STIMUALTING HORMONE (TSH)

Front 41

Where in the body is creatine kinase (CK) found?

Back 41

skeletal muscle, myocardium, nervous tissue (in the brain)

Front 42

Differentiate the three isoenyzmes of CK.

Back 42

MM (muscle enzyme)
MB (heart enzyme)
BB (brain enzyme)

Front 43

What tests are ordered to determine if a patient has had a heart attack?

Back 43

CKMB & total CK

Front 44

protein specific to heart muscle; help diagnose acute MI

Back 44

TROPONIN

Front 45

Troponin levels rise within ________ after myocardial damage and can stay elevated for up to __________.

Back 45

4 HOURS; 14 DAYS

Front 46

How are troponin levels useful to a doctor?

Back 46

used to evaluate extent of cardiac damage and to help physician develop a prognosis for the patient

Front 47

________ & ________ are two exocrine system products of the pancreas and can be tested to detect _________.

Back 47

AMYLASE; LIPASE; PANCREATITIS

Front 48

Extra glucose is stored as _________ in the liver and muslces, or as fat. _______ is the stored form of glucose.

Back 48

GLYCOGEN; GLYCOGEN

Front 49

Specimen can be drawn at any time for glucose test

Back 49

RANDOM BLOOD GLUCOSE

Front 50

Obtained following 8- to 12-hour fast in which the pt ingests nothing but water

Back 50

FASTING BLOOD SUGAR (FBS)

Front 51

Drawn 2 hours after meal

Back 51

TWO-HOUR POSTPRANDIAL GLUCOSE

Front 52

Levels checked at intervals after the pt takes a large dose of glucose

Back 52

GLUCOSE TOLERANCE TEST (GTT)

Front 53

The GTT is used to diagnose _____ and _______.

Back 53

DIABETES; HYPOGLYCEMIA

Front 54

Discuss the timing for specimen collection during a GTT.

Back 54

30 min, 1 hr, 2 hr, 3 hr, etc.

Front 55

What color of collection tube is recommended for GTT testing for longer stability?

Back 55

GRAY STOPPER TUBES containing SODIUM FLOURIDE

Front 56

A diagnosis of diabetes requires a fasting blood glucose of ___________ or above.

Back 56

125 mg/dL

Front 57

sweating, weakness, dizziness, headache, trembling, lethargy

Back 57

SYMPTOMS OF HYPOGLYCEMIA

Front 58

The __________ test measures the avg amt of glucose that's been circulating in the pt's blood over a _________ period.

Back 58

HGB A1C; 3-MONTH

Front 59

Discuss screening for gestational diabetes.

Back 59

The most common way to screen a pregnant pt for g.d. is to drink a 50g glucose drink and then draw her blood 1 hr later; performed during 2nd trimester >155 mg/dL

Front 60

What tests are useful in the assessment of heart disease risk?

Back 60

*cholesterol
*lipids
*lipoproteins

Front 61

The AHA recommends that cholesterol levels be less than ________. Levels above that may be considered as an increased risk for _________.

Back 61

200 mg/dL; ATHEROSCLEROSIS

Front 62

buildup of fatty plaque on the interior lining of arteries, causing the arteries to narrow & harden

Back 62

ATHEROSCLEROSIS

Front 63

What is LDL?

Back 63

low-density lipoprotein--protein found in blood plasma that carries cholesterol from the liver to the walls of large and medium-sized arteries

Front 64

Normal levels of LDL

Back 64

<100 mg/dL

Front 65

What is HDL?

Back 65

high-density lipoprotein--protein molecule taht carries cholesterol from the walls of the arteries beack to the liver

Front 66

HDL is commonly referred to as the __________.

Back 66

GOOD CHOLESTEROL

Front 67

The lower a patient's HDL level, the _________ their risk for heart disease.

Back 67

GREATER

Front 68

In general, triglyceride levels should be ________ than ________.

Back 68

LESS; 150 mg/dL

Front 69

Normal range for: BUN

Back 69

10-20 mg/dL

Front 70

Normal range for: CALCIUM

Back 70

8.5-10.5 mg/dL

Front 71

Normal range for: CHLORIDE

Back 71

96-110 mEq/L

Front 72

Normal range for: CHOLESTEROL

Back 72

120-200 mg/dL

Front 73

Normal range for: CREATININE

Back 73

0.8-1.4 mg/dL

Front 74

Normal range for: GLUCOSE

Back 74

60-100 mg/dL

Front 75

Normal range for: POTASSIUM

Back 75

3.5-5.0 mEq/L

Front 76

Normal range for: SODIUM

Back 76

135-146 mEq/L

Front 77

Normal range for: TRIGLYCERIDES (MEN)

Back 77

40-160 mg/dL

Front 78

Normal range for: TRIGLYCERIDES (WOMEN)

Back 78

35-135 mg/dL