Phlebotomy Tech Prep: CPT Coming soon

Patient Preparation practice questions for the CPT exam

Patient Preparation is 20 of the 100 scored questions (20%) on the CPT exam. Try 8 free questions below: tap an answer to check it, then read why the other options are wrong and the sources.

8 questions. Tap an answer to check it, or open the explanation under each one.

Question 1

A 17-year-old shows the outpatient lab a court decree declaring her emancipated. She came alone with an order for a lipid panel. Whose consent does the draw need?

  1. Her ordering clinician's, on the order
  2. The issuing court's, by a new order
  3. A parent's, obtained by phone first
  4. Her own, as an emancipated minor
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D. Her own, as an emancipated minor

Emancipated minors are considered legally capable and can consent to their own medical treatment (Merck Manual).

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. Her ordering clinician's, on the order: An order authorizes the test; it is not consent.
  • B. The issuing court's, by a new order: A court does not consent to individual tests.
  • C. A parent's, obtained by phone first: Emancipation removes the need for a parent's consent.

Sources

Question 2

To give informed consent for an invasive procedure, a patient must understand several things. Which of these is one of them?

  1. The facility's accreditation status
  2. The name of the lab that will run her tests
  3. What could happen if she declines the treatment
  4. The room where the procedure will take place
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. What could happen if she declines the treatment

Informed consent requires that the patient understand her current status, including its likely course without treatment, the options with their benefits and harms, usually the clinician's recommendation, and the uncertainties (Merck Manual).

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. The facility's accreditation status: Accreditation is not an element of informed consent.
  • B. The name of the lab that will run her tests: Which lab runs the tests is not an informed consent element.
  • D. The room where the procedure will take place: Room assignment is a scheduling detail, not a consent element.

Sources

Question 3

A walk-in patient gives the phlebotomist a requisition showing her name, date of birth and the tests, but no ordering provider or contact information. Her provider's office is closed for lunch. What is the best action?

  1. Draw now and list the lab director as the requester
  2. Hold the draw until the ordering provider is identified
  3. Draw now and leave the provider field blank for later
  4. Draw now and write in her primary care provider's name
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. Hold the draw until the ordering provider is identified

Testing needs a request from an authorized person, and the requisition must identify that person, with a contact for imminently life-threatening results (42 CFR 493.1241(a), (c)(1)). The phlebotomist waits or reschedules per policy rather than filling in a provider.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. Draw now and list the lab director as the requester: The lab director did not order these tests.
  • C. Draw now and leave the provider field blank for later: Without an identified requester there is no valid order, and no one to call with urgent results.
  • D. Draw now and write in her primary care provider's name: The phlebotomist cannot assume who ordered the tests.

Sources

Question 4

A lab manager is clearing out old binders. Under CLIA, for at least how long must the specimen refrigerator's daily temperature logs be kept?

  1. 6 months
  2. 1 year
  3. 2 years
  4. 10 years
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. 2 years

CLIA requires records of all analytic systems activities in 42 CFR 493.1252 through 493.1289 to be kept at least 2 years (42 CFR 493.1105(a)(3)), and 493.1252(b) requires storage conditions such as temperature to be monitored and documented.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. 6 months: Six months is shorter than the CLIA minimum for these records.
  • B. 1 year: One year is shorter than the CLIA minimum for these records.
  • D. 10 years: Ten years is the CLIA period for pathology test reports, not storage logs.

Sources

Question 5

A phlebotomist prints barcode labels from a patient's electronic orders. Where should she confirm that the label information matches the patient?

  1. Back at the lab after the tubes arrive
  2. At the nurses' station before going in
  3. Only if the barcode later fails to scan
  4. At the bedside, in front of the patient
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D. At the bedside, in front of the patient

Venous collection guidelines call for the barcode label to be attached, or its information confirmed against the patient, in front of the patient; the phlebotomist also compares the ID with the request form or computerized order.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. Back at the lab after the tubes arrive: After the draw it is too late to confirm the tubes came from this patient.
  • B. At the nurses' station before going in: Away from the patient there is nothing to match the labels to.
  • C. Only if the barcode later fails to scan: A barcode can scan perfectly and still belong to the wrong patient.

Sources

Question 6

A nurse reports that a patient's IV gentamicin infusion finished at 1400, and the order reads "gentamicin peak." At about what time should the specimen be collected?

  1. 1300
  2. 1400
  3. 1430
  4. 2000
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. 1430

For IV antibiotics, the peak sample is drawn about half an hour after the infusion stops: 1400 + 30 minutes = 1430. Aminoglycosides such as gentamicin need both peak and trough levels (Kang and Lee 2009).

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. 1300: 1300 is during the infusion, before it has finished.
  • B. 1400: At 1400 the infusion has only just stopped and the drug is still distributing.
  • D. 2000: 2000 is hours later, when the level has fallen toward the trough.

Sources

Question 7

A phlebotomist says, "Take your time, I'm in no hurry," while tapping her foot and glancing at the clock. Which message is the patient most likely to believe?

  1. Her spoken words
  2. Whichever message came last
  3. Her nonverbal signals
  4. Neither message
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. Her nonverbal signals

When verbal and nonverbal messages are incongruent, patients believe the nonverbal one, so caregivers keep both consistent (Wanko Keutchafo 2022).

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. Her spoken words: When words and body language conflict, the words lose.
  • B. Whichever message came last: Order does not decide which message is believed.
  • D. Neither message: The patient will still take a message from her behavior.

Sources

Question 8

An outpatient reports a chlorhexidine allergy, and the draw needs routine skin antisepsis. What should the phlebotomist do?

  1. Skip skin cleansing entirely for this draw
  2. Use chlorhexidine, but only on the other arm
  3. Use chlorhexidine, then wipe it off right away
  4. Use another antiseptic, such as 70% alcohol
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D. Use another antiseptic, such as 70% alcohol

Merck: with chlorhexidine hypersensitivity, cleanse the skin with a different disinfectant. 70% alcohol is the standard antiseptic in the venous sampling recommendations.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. Skip skin cleansing entirely for this draw: The site must still be disinfected.
  • B. Use chlorhexidine, but only on the other arm: The allergy applies to her skin on either arm.
  • C. Use chlorhexidine, then wipe it off right away: Any contact with chlorhexidine risks a reaction.

Sources

Cheat sheets for this domain

Patient Preparation terms

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