Certified Medical Assistant (CMA AAMA)Procedures, Examinations and DiagnosticsMedium
Before using a point-of-care glucose meter for patient testing each day, a medical assistant should first run which of the following?
- AA patient sample from the previous shift
- BA new lot number verification only once per year
- CA confirmatory venous blood draw
- DLiquid quality control solutions at two different levels
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Liquid quality control solutions at two different levels
CLIA-waived point-of-care testing requires running liquid quality control material at both normal and abnormal (high/low) levels according to the schedule set by the facility (often daily) to verify the meter and test strips are functioning correctly before patient testing.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Reusing a prior patient sample does not verify meter accuracy and is unsafe practice.
- B. New lot verification is required with each new box of strips, not just annually.
- C. A confirmatory venous draw is not part of routine daily QC procedure.
Point-of-Care QC
Quality control practices required for CLIA-waived tests like glucose meters to ensure reliable results before patient use.
- Run high and low level liquid controls per schedule
- New reagent lots require QC verification
- QC results must fall within manufacturer's acceptable range before reporting patient results
Memory trick: 'Control before patient, high and low'