Certified Respiratory Therapist Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Prepare for the Certified Respiratory Therapist Exam with our comprehensive quiz. Utilize flashcards and multiple choice questions with detailed explanations to ace your test!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

What is the consequence of inadequate mixing of a blood sample in a syringe before analysis?

Increase in serum glucose levels
Error in total hemoglobin measurements
Decrease in pH levels
Increase in blood viscosity

The correct answer is: Error in total hemoglobin measurements

Inadequate mixing of a blood sample in a syringe before analysis can lead to errors in total hemoglobin measurements. Proper mixing is essential to ensure that the cells remain evenly distributed within the plasma. If a sample is not mixed thoroughly, cellular elements, including red blood cells, may settle at the bottom of the syringe, leading to an inaccurate representation of the hemoglobin concentration in the sample. This can result in either falsely elevated or lowered hemoglobin readings, which directly impacts the assessment of a patient's oxygen-carrying capacity. Accurate hemoglobin measurement is critical for diagnosing and managing various conditions, including anemia and polycythemia, making proper sample handling and mixing vital for reliable laboratory results.