Chapter 12: Clinical Investigations

1. If you were to request urea and electrolyte blood test on a patient, which biochemical marker would NOT be measured?

  1. urea
  2. sodium
  3. calcium
  4. potassium

Answer: C

2. Which X-ray would emit the most radiation?

  1. chest
  2. abdomen
  3. wrist
  4. hand

Answer: B

3. Which element of the white cell count is most important to monitor in a patient who has presented with a fever following chemotherapy?

  1. neutrophils
  2. basophils
  3. lymphocytes
  4. eosinophils

Answer: A

4. How long should you wait after dipping a reagent stick in a sample of urine in order to read the result?

  1. 5 seconds
  2. 10 seconds
  3. 30 seconds
  4. 60 seconds

Answer: D

5. Which of these are NOT an indication to request a chest X-ray?

  1. reduced air entry in the lungs
  2. fever, shortness of breath and reduced SpO2
  3. cardiac sounding chest pain
  4. headache and nausea

Answer: D

6. Which parameter does arterial blood gas NOT measure?

  1. PaCO2
  2. PaO2
  3. lactate
  4. magnesium

Answer: D

7. Which ECG lead should always show as negative?

  1. aVR
  2. aVF
  3. II
  4. III

Answer: A

8. When monitoring capillary blood glucose levels, what would you define as hypoglycaemic?

  1. below 2 mmoL
  2. below 4 mmoL
  3. below 6 mmoL
  4. below 8 mmoL

Answer: B

9. Which of these tests are NOT performed in the haematology lab?

  1. INR
  2. full blood count
  3. C-reactive protein
  4. ESR

Answer: C

10. What is the considered a normal range for serum potassium in mmol/L?

  1. 5.5–7.0
  2. 2.0–3.0
  3. 3.0–4.0
  4. 3.5–5.0

Answer: D