NHA CPT flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Standard precautions

Infection control practices applied to every patient: hand hygiene, gloves, gown, mask, eye protection, and safe sharps handling regardless of known infection status.

PPE removal order

Remove gloves first, then eye protection, then gown, then mask or respirator. Perform hand hygiene immediately after the final item is removed.

Sharps injury first step

Wash the exposed site with soap and water without scrubbing or squeezing, then report immediately for post-exposure evaluation and prophylaxis decisions.

SDS purpose

Safety Data Sheet: a standardized document describing chemical hazards, first aid, handling, and spill response, kept accessible wherever the chemical is used.

Chain of custody

Documentation tracking a legal or forensic specimen from collection through analysis, recording every handler, date, time, and tamper-evident seal.

Sharps container replacement

Replace a sharps container when it is about three-quarters full. Never recap, bend, or break needles by hand before disposal.

Two patient identifiers

Confirm identity using at least two independent identifiers such as full name and date of birth. Room or bed numbers are never acceptable identifiers.

Tourniquet time limit

Leave the tourniquet on no longer than one minute. Prolonged constriction causes hemoconcentration, raising potassium, protein, and enzyme results falsely.

Fasting requirement

Many glucose and lipid tests require 8 to 12 hours without food; water is allowed. Confirm fasting status before collection and document it.

Basal state collection

Specimen drawn early morning after about 12 hours of fasting and rest, before exercise, caffeine, or smoking, to reduce preanalytical variation.

Therapeutic drug trough

Blood drawn just before the next scheduled dose, when drug concentration is lowest, to confirm the level stays within the therapeutic range.

Anticoagulant pressure time

Apply pressure for at least 5 minutes after venipuncture in patients taking anticoagulants or with bleeding disorders, and check that bleeding has stopped.

Venipuncture site order

First choice is the median cubital vein, then the cephalic vein. The basilic vein is last because of nearby artery and nerve structures.

Order of draw

Blood culture, light blue citrate, red or gold serum, green heparin, lavender EDTA, gray oxalate-fluoride. Sequence prevents additive cross-contamination between tubes.

Citrate tube ratio

Light blue tubes require a 9:1 blood-to-anticoagulant ratio. Underfilled tubes yield falsely prolonged coagulation results and must be recollected.

EDTA inversion count

Invert lavender EDTA tubes 8 to 10 times gently. Citrate tubes need 3 to 4 inversions and heparin tubes 5 to 10; never shake.

Capillary puncture site

Adults: side of the third or fourth fingertip, avoiding the pad center. Infants: lateral or medial plantar heel surface, never the arch.

Blood culture collection

Draw at least two sets from separate sites before antibiotics when possible. Each set includes one aerobic and one anaerobic bottle.

Hemolysis prevention

Use a 21-gauge or larger needle, avoid excessive vacuum and syringe force, release the tourniquet early, and never shake tubes after collection.

Arterial blood gas handling

Collect anaerobically, expel air bubbles, cap the needle, mix by rolling, and transport on ice if analysis is delayed.

Serum separation deadline

Separate serum or plasma from cells within 2 hours of collection. Delay falsely raises potassium and LDH and lowers glucose.

Light-sensitive specimens

Bilirubin and vitamin B12 degrade with light exposure, so they are collected in amber or foil-wrapped tubes and transported protected from light.

Cold agglutinin transport

Cryoglobulin and cold agglutinin specimens must be kept at 37 degrees Celsius from collection through laboratory receipt to prevent antibody precipitation.

Cold transport specimens

Arterial blood gases, ammonia, and most coagulation studies are transported on ice or refrigerated; routine hematology EDTA tubes stay at room temperature.

Specimen rejection criteria

Unlabeled or mislabeled tubes, gross hemolysis, insufficient volume, clotted anticoagulated blood, and expired devices are rejected and documented; results are not reported.

Centrifugation settings

Routine serum and plasma are spun about 10 minutes at roughly 1,000 to 1,200 relative centrifugal force; gel separator tubes require the brake off.

Stat specimen handling

Stat specimens are processed immediately on receipt and results reported within a defined turnaround time, with collection, receipt, and result times documented.

Upright tube transport

Additive tubes are transported and stored upright to keep the stopper from contacting blood and to allow complete clot formation and proper separation.

Glove use limits

Gloves are worn for contact with blood or body fluids and changed between patients. They do not replace hand hygiene before and after use.

Biohazard waste labeling

Regulated medical waste is marked with the biohazard symbol and handled per facility policy; contaminated sharps go directly into puncture-resistant containers.

Fainting during venipuncture

If a patient reports dizziness or loses consciousness, stop the draw, remove the needle, lower the head, and monitor until recovery.

Additive tube mixing

Gently invert additive tubes immediately after collection the specified number of times so anticoagulant or clot activator mixes fully with the blood.