National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT) Medical Assistant Practice Test

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

Get ready for the NCCT Medical Assistant Test with comprehensive quizzes. Use flashcards and multiple choice questions, each accompanied by hints and detailed explanations. Ensure your success on the exam!

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.

Why is it important to wipe away the first drop of blood in a blood smear?

It is contaminated and can affect results
It is insufficient for analysis
It contains too much serum
It is too thin for accurate readings

The correct answer is: It is contaminated and can affect results

Wiping away the first drop of blood in a blood smear is crucial for ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the laboratory results. The first drop of blood often contains contaminants from the skin surface, such as oils, dirt, or other substances that may have been present prior to the collection. These contaminants can potentially skew the results of any subsequent analysis, leading to misleading information regarding the patient’s health. By removing this first drop, the integrity of the sample is preserved, and the subsequent drop, which is more representative of the blood's true composition, is used for analysis. This practice helps in yielding a more precise evaluation when examining the morphology of blood cells.