Why must microhematocrit tubes be processed in pairs during a hematocrit determination?

• A. To ensure accuracy by averaging results and detecting errors in one tube
• B. To increase the total blood volume analyzed for better sensitivity
• C. To prevent contamination from environmental microbes
• D. To allow for simultaneous testing of two different patients

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the purpose of a microhematocrit tube: it is used to measure the hematocrit, which is the proportion of red blood cells in a blood sample.
2. Recognize that processing tubes in pairs means running two separate microhematocrit tubes from the same blood sample simultaneously.
3. Know that running two tubes allows for comparison of results, which helps identify any discrepancies or errors that might occur during sample collection, centrifugation, or reading.
4. Averaging the results from the two tubes increases the reliability and accuracy of the hematocrit determination by minimizing random errors.
5. Conclude that processing tubes in pairs is not primarily for increasing blood volume, preventing contamination, or testing different patients, but to ensure accuracy and error detection.