ASCP Recall Questions - December 18, 2015

1. Transudates are:
a. purulent
b. cellular in nature
c. seen in malignancy
d. non-inflammatory in origin

2. Marker for past HBV infection and is also present in active infection.
Answer: Anti-HBc

3. Picture of Blood smear where RBCs are clumping: PCH

4. Gram stained smear showing gram (+) cocci in chain. Organisms is alpha hemolytic, bile
esculin hydrolysis positive, optochin resistant, and 6.5% NaCl tolerance negative. Most
probable organism is:
a. enterococcus faecalis
b. streptococcus pneumoniae
c. streptococcus viridans
d. streptococcus gallolyticus (bovis)

Answer: streptococcus gallolyticus (bovis)

5. Organism is lactose fermenter on MacConkey. TSI reaction is acid slant/ acid butt with the
following biochem:

Indole: Negative
Citrate: Positive
Lysine Decarboxylase: negative
PAD: negative
Ornithine: positive
Arginine: positive

a. Enterobacter aerogenes
b. Escherichia coli
c. Enterobacter cloacae
d. Klebsiella pneumoniae

6. An oxidase negative coccobacillus inoculated from a urine specimen grows well on

MacConkey, giving a purplish hue. It is resistant to many antimicrobials.

a. Pseudomonas
b. Acinetobacter
c. Neisseria
d. Escherichia coli
7. When Streptokinase therapy given to a patient with heart problem is failure which result
would most likely to occur:
a. PT: 12 seconds
b. APTT: 200 seconds
c. PT: 50 seconds
d. D-dimer: positive

8. Rapid test for Legionella pneumophila.

Answer: Urine Antigen Test

9. How to detect CMV immune status:

a. Latex agglutination
b. Direct Fluorescent Staining
c. DNA testing

10. HIV western blot: picture of strips showing at least two parameters that are positive
Answer: reactive

11. A small gram (+) bacilli grew from blood culture. The organism is non-motile, catalase
positive, non-hemolytic. It is resistant to most antibiotics including penicillin but
susceptible to vancomycin. The organism is most probably:
a. Bacillus anthracis
b. Erysipelothrix
c. Corynebacterium jeikeium
d. Streptobacillus moniliformis

12. HBA1c result is affected by: LOW hemoglobin

13. In Hemolytic Anemia: Increased Unconjugated bilirubin, Increased

Urobilinogen, Negative for Urine Bilirubin

14. In Cushing Syndrome: Increased Cortisol, Decreased ACTH

15. In Cushing Syndrome: Hyperglycemia

16. In pCO2 testing, what is measured: change in pH

17. Calibration in pH analyzer:

a. two buffer with known pH and temperature
b. a buffer with known pH and a standard with known HCO3 concentration
c. calibrating gases with known pH and concentration

18. 1.000 +/- 0.006 on glass pipet:

a. calibration
b. accuracy
c. precision
d. quality control
19. Blood smear with burr cells: Uremia

20. Smear with crenated RBC: prolonged exposure of slide to air

21. Picture of positive FANA test using Crithidia Lucilae: SLE

22. Lactose Fermenter on MacConkey. TSI is Acid slant/Acid butt and Oxidase positive
a. Pseudomonas
b. E.coli
c. Aeromonas
d. Neisseria

23. Automated:
RBC: 3.7
HGB: 14.7
HCT: 33%

Manual:
HCT: 33.5%

a. report original result (automated)

b. check for lipemia
c. repeat HCT

24. Tissue biopsy: small fusiform

Microscopic: delicate hyphae, septate, with pyriform to ovoid microconidia
a. coccidioides immitis
b. sporothrix schenckii
c. microsporum audouinii
d. epidermophyton floccosum

25. Rotavirus ideal specimen: Stool

26. Best Specimen for Whooping Cough:

a. sputum
b. nasopharyngeal swab

27. A patient with “walking pneumonia” treated with penicillin is not improving:
Answer: Organism has no cell wall

28. Blastoconidia: budding

29. Hair Baiting Test: T. rubrum vs. T. mentagrophytes

30. ESR falsely decreased:
a. tilted tube
b. rouleaux formation
c. microvibration caused by machine
d. 8-hour delay in set up

31. CSF gram stained and cultured. Where to store when follow up tests may be needed:
a. ref temp.
b. -20 deg.C
c. -65 deg.C
d. incubate at 35 deg.C

32. Urine with specific gravity of 1.050, containing needle like crystals with pH of 7.0
Answer: Contrast Media

33. 390 ml of whole blood was collected. what will you do with the blood bag?
a. discard
b. fraction to platelet and plasma
c. use RBC only
d. use Whole blood

34. The antigens to the following antibodies are:

Cell D C e c E M N K k Lea Leb Jka Jkb Fya Fyb Xg Jsa Jsb Lub IS 37ʼC

SC I + 0 + + 0 + 0 + 0 0 + + 0 + 0 + + 0 + 0 1+

SC II + 0 + + 0 + 0 + 0 0 + 0 + + 0 + + 0 0 0 1+

SC III + 0 + + 0 + 0 + 0 0 + + 0 + 0 0 + 0 + 0 1+

SC IV + + + + 0 + 0 + 0 0 + 0 + + 0 0 0 + 0 0 1+

SC V 0 + + + 0 0 + + 0 0 + + 0 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 1+

SC VI 0 + + + 0 0 + + 0 + 0 + 0 0 + 0 0 + 0 1+ 0

SC VII 0 + + + 0 0 + + 0 + 0 + 0 + 0 0 + 0 + 1+ 0

SC VIII 0 + + 0 0 + 0 + 0 0 + + 0 0 + 0 + 0 0 0 1+

a. glycolipids absorbed from plasma

b. they are alleles to each other

35. Used to compare result from new and old methods: Coefficient of Variation

36. High Reticulocyte Count: Do Heinz Bodies Stain

37. To differentiate P. aeruginosa from P. putida = growth at 42 deg.C

38. Use of KMnO4 (Potassium Permanganate) in auramine-rhodamine staining:

Answer: Quenching Agent (eliminate background fluorescence)
39. enzyme involved in patient administered with succinylcholine-type anesthetic
a. aldolase
b. 5-nucleotidase
c. pseudocholinesterase
d. acetylcholinesterase

40. Blood smear with Stomatocytes: Liver disease

41. RBC count in 5 rbc squares:

A CSF sample is diluted to 1:10. There are 161 and 187 red blood cells counted on both
chamber using 5 RBC squares. what is the actual rbc count?

Answer: 87,000

42. Table with PT and APTT results ran in duplicate. PT correlates, APTT does not. What to do
next?
Answer: Replace APTT reagent

43. Baby blood-typed: Forward = AB (-); Reverse = A (+)

Answer: Report only FORWARD result

44. Biopsy from a patient with Acute Glomerulonephritis would show what organism?
Answer: Streptococcus pyogenes

45. Staphylococcus-like organism grow in agar plates. Automated ID&Sensi were done.
Organism is resistant to most antibiotic including Vancomycin. What should the
technologist do next?
a. do gram stain
b. do coagulase test
c. repeat automated ID/sensi
d. Report result indicating sensitivity not obtained

46. Patient received HepB Immunoglobulin 6 months ago. = Deferred

47. High HCT: >65%: Reduce Anticoagulant (Citrate)

48. Analyte to test during Eclampsia

Answer: Magnesium

49. Cause of serum turbidity after meal: Lipoproteins

50. Absence of mature trophozoite and schizont is observed in which Plasmodium specie?
a. P. falciparum
b. P. ovale
c. P. vivax
d. P. malariae
51. Normocytic, Normochromic Anemia. Reticulocyte Count: 0.18%. Normal Platelet and
White Blood Count.
Answer: Pure Red Cell Aplasia

52. Different Lysing Agent Used. Cause of Different Results: Presence of Hemoglobin C
crystals would cause resistance to lysis.

53. Non Fasting Glucose: 196 mg/dl

Fasting: 120 mg/dl

a. impaired fasting glucose

b. diabetes mellitus

54. Antibody Screening:

IS AHG CC

SC I 0 0 0

SC II +1 +3 0

SC III 0 +1 0

Answer: Mixed Antibodies

55. Deteriorate during storage:

a. Lutheran
b. LW
c. P
d. MN

56. Irreversible phase of Platelet aggregation.

Answer: Release of Platelet endogenous ADP

57. Patient has Prostate CA, and prostate removed. But PSA level is still above normal, what
indicates this situation?
Answer: Specimen from another patient

58. Decreased EPO:

a. Polycythemia Vera
b. Aplastic Anemia
c. Polycythemia Secondary to plasma volume

59. Increased in jaundiced patient with pancreatic mass.

Answer: CA 19-9

60. Multiple Sclerosis.

Answer: Increased IgG with Oligoclonal Banding
61. Anti-mitochondrial Antibodies: Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

62. First run of HIV test: Reactive

Second run: Nonreactive
what to do?
Answer: Confirm with Western Blot ?
63. Abnormally low Sodium. High Osmolality.
Answer: Check for increase in glucose ?

64. Normal PTH. Increased iCa.

Answer: ??

65. A patient diagnosed of pulmonary tuberculosis submitted a sputum sample for acid fast
stain and culture. Culture is positive. The technologist stained the sputum smear with
carbol fuchsin as primary stain. Decolorized with acid-alcohol then stained with methylene
blue to color the background. The technologist then scanned the stained smear through two
complete rows and seen no acid fast organism. What could explain this situation?
a. not properly decolorized
b. wrong primary stain used
c. did not scan the smear properly

66. Baby is O(+), DAT (-); Mother is A (-), what to do next?

a. Prepare RHOGAM
b. Perform Rosette testing
c. perform heel stick to the newborn
d. get a sample from the father

67. Blood Grouping:

Anti - A Anti - B A cells B cells

0 +MF + 0

Answer: B subgroup

68. A urine sample tested positive for esterase. On microscopic examination there were no
white blood cells present. What could be the cause?
Answer: Hemolyzed WBC

69. Primidone related question:

Answer: measure phenobarbital (this is the metabolite of primidone :P )
70. Antibody Screening:
IS AHG CC

SC I 0 0 0

SC II +1 +2 0

SC III 0 +3 0

Patientʼs Sample +1 ----

Answer: Patient with Allo-Autoantibodies

*** RED colored questions are items that I don’t know the answer.
*** SOME items might be wrong, Do research. :D

STUDY HARD. GOD BLESS!!! :D

- jeekoii-