A Phlebotomist Is Collecting a Sample for Potassium by Fingerstick

question 65

Multiple Choice

A phlebotomist is collecting a sample for potassium by fingerstick on an adult patient. The patient's hands are callused and the phlebotomist experiences difficulty in obtaining enough sample. One possible effect of this difficulty is:

• A) the finger involved must not be used for future collections.
• B) excessive squeezing and tissue fluid in the sample may affect the potassium result.
• C) a postexamination variable is caused.
• D) no significant effect on the sample is likely.

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Definitions:

Magmas

Molten rock beneath or within the Earth's crust, from which igneous rocks are formed.

Ocean-Continent Convergence

A type of plate boundary where a continental plate and oceanic plate collide, often resulting in volcanic activity and mountain building.

Fold and Thrust Belt

A series of mountainous folds and thrust faults created by the compression of the earth's crust.

Foreland Basin

A structural basin that forms adjacent to mountain ranges, resulting from the earth's crust flexing downward due to the weight of overlying mountains.