Patient Preparation is 20 of the 100 scored items on the NHA CPT exam. Answer 10 exam style questions on patient preparation and preanalytical variables and see exactly which concepts would cost you points on test day.
Start the 10 questions →Which information must appear on a laboratory requisition?
These questions cover requisition, priority, patient preparation, positioning and preanalytical variables. Each one shows the correct answer and why every other option is wrong, so a miss tells you exactly what to review before the NHA CPT.
Prefer to read first? Every question from the practice set above, with the correct answer and why each wrong option is wrong.
Answer: B. A requisition identifies the patient, the ordering provider and the tests ordered, along with details such as date, priority, and any special requirements like fasting or timing.
Why not A: Personal contact details of staff are not required on a requisition.
Why not C: Passwords are never on a requisition.
Why not D: Tests alone cannot be linked to a patient or provider.
Exam tactic: Who, who ordered, what.
Answer: D. STAT means immediately because the result is needed for urgent care. ASAP is next in urgency, timed collections are drawn at their scheduled time, and routine orders follow the normal schedule.
Why not A: Routine orders are collected on the normal schedule.
Why not B: Next morning orders are scheduled.
Why not C: ASAP is urgent but less so than STAT.
Exam tactic: STAT beats everything.
Answer: A. Anticoagulants affect bleeding at the site, and some drugs interfere with test results or require timed collection. The information is documented and passed to the lab.
Why not B: Tube choice depends on the test ordered.
Why not C: The question serves patient safety and accuracy.
Why not D: Identification is a separate required step.
Exam tactic: Meds matter for bleeding and results.
Answer: D. The arm is extended in a straight line from shoulder to wrist, angled slightly downward and supported, which helps veins fill and keeps tubes filling from the bottom up.
Why not A: Raising the arm reduces venous filling.
Why not B: Across the chest does not expose the antecubital area.
Why not C: A bent elbow hides the veins.
Exam tactic: Arm straight, down, supported.
Answer: C. Strenuous exercise can raise muscle enzymes such as creatine kinase and affect other analytes. Patients are asked to avoid heavy exercise before certain tests.
Why not A: Genotype does not change.
Why not B: Infection status and serologic markers are not affected by exercise.
Why not D: Blood type does not change with exercise.
Exam tactic: Recent workout skews muscle enzymes.
Answer: D. Extending the arm after an explanation is implied consent for a routine venipuncture. Some procedures require written consent per policy.
Why not A: No written form was signed.
Why not B: The action communicates consent.
Why not C: This is not a legal waiver.
Exam tactic: Arm offered = implied consent.
Answer: A. Prolonged fasting raises the risk of low blood sugar for diabetic patients. Drawing them promptly lets them eat or take medication sooner.
Why not B: Diabetes does not make every order STAT.
Why not C: Vein access is not related to diabetes in this way.
Why not D: Fasting patients can wait, but prompt service reduces risk.
Exam tactic: Fasting diabetic: don't make them wait.
Answer: A. Hypoallergenic paper tape or self-adhering wrap over gauze avoids adhesive reactions while keeping pressure on the site.
Why not B: More adhesive worsens the reaction.
Why not C: Bleeding must be controlled before the patient leaves.
Why not D: A tourniquet left on is dangerous.
Exam tactic: Adhesive allergy: paper tape or wrap.
Answer: D. Lower oxygen at high altitude stimulates the body to make more red cells, so red cell count, hemoglobin and hematocrit tend to be higher.
Why not A: Urine specific gravity depends on hydration and recent fluid intake, and drinking water lowers it. Altitude does not raise it the way it raises red cell values.
Why not B: Glucose is regulated by insulin and diet. Living at altitude does not push fasting glucose higher than at sea level.
Why not C: Platelet function testing reflects platelet activity and medications such as aspirin, not the oxygen level of the environment.
Exam tactic: Thin air, more red cells.
Answer: D. Basal state is the body's resting, fasting state in the early morning, about 12 hours after eating. Many reference ranges are based on it.
Why not A: Exercise changes many results, which is the opposite of basal.
Why not B: Basal state includes fasting and rest, not only sleep.
Why not C: After a meal is a postprandial state.
Exam tactic: Basal: rested and fasting.
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