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Reference guide

NHA CPT Phlebotomy Course Notes

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Section 11. Safety and Compliance (26 of 100 scored items)Preview
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Summary

Know the rule, stop unsafe testing, protect PHI, use Standard Precautions, dispose of sharps immediately, and follow the exposure/emergency sequence. This domain is 26% of scored items.

Key Points

  • OSHA = workplace safety enforcement; NIOSH = occupational-safety research/recommendations; CDC = infection-prevention guidance; CLSI = laboratory practice standards.

Common Mistakes

  • Treating 'waived' testing as rule-free.

Exam Tips

  • Failed QC = no patient result.
Section 22. Patient Preparation (20 of 100 scored items)Preview
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Summary

Before puncture, verify the order, two identifiers, consent, preparation requirements, special risks, site restrictions, communication needs, and safe positioning. This domain is 20%.

Key Points

  • Review order/requisition: patient, provider, tests, priority (STAT/routine), timing, and special instructions.

Common Mistakes

  • Using room number as an identifier.

Exam Tips

  • Order + two IDs + consent before needle.
Section 33. Routine Blood Collections (28 of 100 scored items)Preview
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Summary

Highest-weight domain. Know devices, tube additives, venous and capillary order of draw, vein/site selection, tourniquet and antisepsis, insertion/removal sequence, complications, post-care, and labeling.

Key Points

  • Serum = liquid after clotting; plasma = anticoagulated liquid with clotting factors; whole blood = cells + plasma.

Common Mistakes

  • Using color without checking additive.

Exam Tips

  • Memorize families: Cultures–Blue–Serum–Green–EDTA–Gray.
Section 44. Special Collections (12 of 100 scored items)Preview
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Summary

Special collections are protocol-heavy: cultures, newborn screening, donor/high-risk volume, nonblood/POC, tolerance tests, blood alcohol, and drug screening.

Key Points

  • Blood cultures are collected before routine tubes and require strict asepsis.

Common Mistakes

  • Touching a prepared blood-culture site.

Exam Tips

  • Special collection = follow the named protocol exactly.
Section 55. Processing (14 of 100 scored items)Preview
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Summary

Protect specimen integrity after collection: correct clotting/separation, time/temperature/light, aliquoting, transport, chain of custody, LIS communication, critical-result reporting, and authorized recollection.

Key Points

  • Preanalytical errors: wrong patient, mislabeled tube, wrong additive, QNS/underfill, hemolysis, clotting, contamination, delay, wrong temperature/light.

Common Mistakes

  • Centrifuging serum before required clotting.

Exam Tips

  • Time–temperature–light–container.