- arterial blood sampling
 - blood is obtained via puncture into an artery
 
- bronchoscopy collection
 - invasive procedure where a thin, flexible tube with a camera is inserted into the airways, and sputum samples are collected from specific areas within the respiratory system
 
- butterfly needle
 - winged infusion set with a vacutainer attached
 
- capillary blood collection
 - obtaining blood from capillaries
 
- catheterized urine sample
 - a catheter is inserted into the bladder to obtain a urine sample directly from the bladder
 
- clean-catch urine sample
 - patient is instructed to start urinating into the toilet, stop briefly, and then continue urinating into the collection container; most common method of urine collection
 
- complete urinalysis
 - examines the physical, chemical, and microscopic composition of a sample of urine
 
- dipstick
 - special test strip containing chemically infused pads
 
- fecal occult blood card
 - card containing a testing area that changes color when it comes into contact with blood
 
- fecal occult blood test (FOBT)
 - test used to detect small amounts of blood in the stool
 
- feces (also, stool or bowel movement)
 - solid waste product that is expelled from the body through the rectum and anus during the process of defecation
 
- first morning void (FMV) sample
 - collecting the first urine voided in the morning
 
- hematochezia
 - bloody stool
 
- hematuria
 - blood in the urine
 
- induced sputum collection
 - a hypertonic saline or other aerosolized agent is used to induce sputum production
 
- lancet
 - device used to puncture the skin to collect a capillary blood sample
 
- melena
 - dark, tarry stools, often associated with upper gastrointestinal bleeding
 
- multiple-draw needle
 - needle that connects to a separate vacutainer
 
- nasal swab
 - a swab is used to collect a sample from the inside of the nasal passage
 
- nasopharyngeal swab
 - a swab is used to collect a sample from the nasopharynx, which is the upper part of the throat that connects to the back of the nasal cavity
 
- nasotracheal suction collection
 - a nasotracheal suction catheter is used to collect sputum directly from the lower respiratory tract
 
- occult blood
 - blood that is hidden from plain sight
 
- oropharyngeal swab
 - a swab is used to collect a sample from the oropharynx, which is the part of the throat at the back of the mouth
 
- pediatric collection device
 - a urine collection bag for infants and young children
 
- plasma
 - the dominant component of blood that contains water, proteins, electrolytes, lipids, and glucose
 
- random stool sample
 - a single stool sample collected at any time without specific timing or preparation
 
- random urine sample
 - a urine sample collected at any time without specific timing or preparation
 
- reference range
 - includes typical values for a specific laboratory test
 
- spontaneous sputum collection
 - patient coughs up sputum into a sterile container
 
- sputum
 - mucus and other secretions that are coughed up from the mouth
 
- sputum trap
 - a specialized collection device that attaches to the patient’s breathing equipment (such as ventilators) to collect sputum samples
 
- steatorrhea
 - fat in the stool
 
- stool culture
 - used to identify and isolate specific bacteria or pathogens causing gastrointestinal infections
 
- stool fat test
 - used to measure the amount of fat in the stool
 
- stool for Clostridium difficile (C. diff) toxin
 - detects the presence of C. difficile toxins in the stool
 
- stool for ova and parasites (O&P)
 - testing used to identify the presence of parasites or their eggs in the stool
 
- stool specimen (also, fecal specimen or fecal sample)
 - a sample of feces (solid waste) collected from a person for laboratory analysis
 
- suprapubic aspiration
 - invasive method involving using a needle and syringe to aspirate urine directly from the bladder through the abdominal wall
 
- therapeutic range
 - includes target values for certain tests when managing specific conditions
 
- three-day stool collection
 - stool samples are collected over a period of three consecutive days
 
- timed urine collection
 - collect urine at specific times throughout the day
 
- tourniquet
 - tightly tied band applied around a limb to temporarily constrict or restrict blood flow
 
- turbidity
 - cloudiness or haziness
 
- twenty-four-hour urine collection
 - collection of all urine produced over a twenty-four-hour period
 
- urinary casts
 - small particles shaped like a tube that may contain different types of cells or substances
 
- vacutainer adapter
 - a plastic device that holds the vacutainer tube in place and connects to the needle for blood collection
 
- vacutainer needle
 - a needle with a built-in vacutainer adapter
 
- vacutainer tube
 - a sterile, color-coded tube used to collect and transport a blood sample
 
- venipuncture
 - the process of introducing a needle into a patient’s vein to collect a blood sample or insert an IV catheter