NHA Phlebotomy Certification Practice Exam

The sweat electrolyte test is primarily used to diagnose which condition?

1. Muscular dystrophy

2. Cystic fibrosis

3. Multiple sclerosis

4. Electrolyte imbalance

The correct answer is: Cystic fibrosis

The sweat electrolyte test is primarily associated with diagnosing cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that affects the respiratory and digestive systems, leading to the production of thick, sticky mucus. One significant characteristic of this condition is that patients have abnormal levels of chloride in their sweat. The sweat electrolyte test measures the concentration of sodium and chloride in sweat, and elevated levels of chloride are indicative of cystic fibrosis. This test is a critical diagnostic tool because it helps differentiate cystic fibrosis from other conditions that may present similar symptoms. In contrast, muscular dystrophy is a group of inherited disorders that involve progressive muscle weakness and degeneration, but it is not diagnosed using a sweat test. Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system and is diagnosed through various methods such as MRI and neurological exams, rather than sweat analysis. Lastly, while electrolyte imbalances can occur in many medical conditions, they are not specifically linked to a single disease like cystic fibrosis, making the sweat test unnecessary for diagnosing an electrolyte imbalance alone.