Phlebotomy Exam Prep 96, Time-Sensitive Stat Tests and Stability

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) specimens must be placed on ice immediately and analyzed within 30 minutes to prevent cellular metabolism from altering results. - Lactate and Ammonia are highly unstable; they must be chilled on ice right after collection and tested within 15 minutes to avoid falsely elevated results. - A common exam trap is chilling potassium samples; they must be kept at room temperature to prevent pseudohyperkalemia from potassium leaking out of red blood cells. - Glucose levels in unpreserved tubes drop by 5-7% per hour due to glycolysis; a gray-top tube (sodium fluoride) is essential for accurate results if testing is delayed. - Use the mnemonic "A-L-A on ice" for Ammonia, Lactate, and ABG, and remember to "Keep 'K' cozy" by leaving potassium at room temperature. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep