CPT (Certified Phlebotomy Technician) Practice Exam

When a blood tube is shaken vigorously, dropped, or drawn through a 25 gauge (or smaller) needle, the force applied can cause rupture of the red blood cells, resulting in their contents being released into the surrounding serum or plasma. This process is known as hemolysis. The other options are incorrect because coagulation refers to the process of blood clot formation, which is not affected by shaking or drawing blood through a small needle; thrombosis refers to the formation of a blood clot within a blood vessel, which is also not influenced by external forces; and aneurysm is a bulging or weakening of an artery wall, which is not associated with blood collection procedures. Therefore, hemolysis is the most likely outcome in this scenario, as it is the only option that describes the damaging effect of mechanical force on blood cells during collection or processing.