California Phlebotomy Certification Practice Exam

If a phlebotomy technician notices that one of the tubes is expired, what should they do?

1. Continue using the expired tube

2. Use a new tube from the front of the shelf

3. Refrigerate the expired tube to extend its use

4. Discard all tubes on the tray

The correct answer is: Use a new tube from the front of the shelf

Using a new tube from the front of the shelf is the appropriate action to take when a phlebotomy technician notices that one of the tubes is expired. Expired tubes may not provide reliable test results because the additives inside the tube, which are crucial for preserving the sample, could degrade over time. This degradation can affect the quality of the specimen and potentially lead to inaccurate test results. Selecting a new tube ensures that the specimen collected will be properly preserved and that the results will be valid and useful for diagnosis or monitoring purposes. It's important to always check the expiration dates before use, as quality control is a critical aspect of phlebotomy and clinical laboratory practices. The other actions mentioned would not adhere to proper procedures. Continuing to use an expired tube compromises the integrity of the sample collected. Refrigerating an expired tube may seem like a solution, but it does not rectify the fact that the tube has already passed its expiration date. Discarding all tubes on the tray is unnecessary and wasteful if only one tube was expired; only the affected item should be discarded while the others remain usable.