Medical Assistant Knowledge and Procedures, Exams of Clinical Medicine

Download Medical Assistant Knowledge and Procedures and more Exams Clinical Medicine in PDF only on Docsity! Which of the following laboratory values should a Medical Assistant immediately report to a patient's provider? ✔✔Blood glucose 500 mg/dL This blood glucose level is higher than the expected reference range of 70 to 110 mg/dL In which of the following locations should a medical assistant place the electrode for lead V4? ✔✔The fifth intercostal space, left midclavicular line is the correct location to place electrode V4. A medical assistant is caring for a patient who is 5'7 tall. Which of the following is the patient's height in centimeters? ✔✔170 cm. Formula multiply the length value by 30.48 A patient asks a Medical Assistant to explain the difference between a liniment and a medicated lotion. Which of the following responses should the assistant make? ✔✔Liniments contain higher portion of oil than medicated lotions. NHA CCMA Practice test/LATEST UPDATE 2025 WITH CERTIFIED questions & answers Graded A+ A Medical Assistant is speaking with a patient who recently received a terminal diagnosis. The pt states, "I regret not taking better care of myself. Now, I won't be able to accomplish what I Wanted to do with my life." The MA should identify that the pt is in which of the following stages of grief? ✔✔Depression A medical assistant is obtaining a blood pressure measurement from an adult patient. Which of the following actions should the assistant take to ensure an accurate reading? ✔✔Place the stethoscope's diaphragm over the patient's palpated artery. A medical assistant is measuring a patient's oxygen saturation with a pulse oximeter. Which of the following actions should the assistant take? ✔✔Check capillary refill in the patients finger. A provider prescribes oxycodone for a patient after abdominal surgery. Which of the following describes this type of medication? ✔✔Oxycodone is a Schedule II control substance A medical assistant is preparing to assist a provider with suturing a wound. Which of the following items should be in the sterile field for this procedure? ✔✔Hemostat. When assisting a provider with a punch biopsy of a mole. Which of the following tasks should a Medical Assistant expect to perform? ✔✔Receive and prepare tissue specimens for processing. A medical assistant should use which of the following solutions to prepare a patient's skin prior to drawing blood cultures? ✔✔Chlorhexidine Chlorhexidine is an antiseptic A medical assistant is preparing to administer a liquid, medication to a patient. Which of the following methods should the assistan use to ensure the correct dose is delivered? ✔✔Pour the medication to the prescribed dose in the medicine cup on a flat surface. A medical assistant is scheduling diagnostic tests for a patient's liver and pancreas. Which of the following systems is being assessed? ✔✔Digestive. Which of the following actions should a Medical Assistant take to verify the quality of venipuncture supplies before beginning a blood draw? ✔✔Inspect the integrity of the needle's seal A medical assistant is testing a patient's visual acuity using a Snellen chart. Which of the following actions should the assistant take ✔✔Make sure the patient does not lean forward during the test. A Medical Assistant is writing a piece of professional correspondence to a consulting provider. In which of the following ways should the assistant record the date on the letter? ✔✔January 1, 2021. A medical assistant is preparing a patient who has intermittent peripheral cyanosis for an examination by the provider. The assistant should understand that healthy perfusion of the hands and feet depends on adequate Interaction between which of the following two body systems? ✔✔Circulatory and respiratory. Which of the following cell structures is the source of energy for a cell? ✔✔Mitochondria. An adolescent is covered by two insurance policies under her divorced parents who have birthdays in May and August and have joint custody. Which policy is the primary policy for the adolescent? ✔✔The policy of the parent that has the earliest birth month Which of the following items in a medical office are considered administrative office supplies? ✔✔Letterhead, envelopes and business cards A Medical Assistant is caring for a 4-month-old infant who has a temperature of 100.4 F. Which of the following is this temperature when converted to Celsius? ✔✔38 C Formula (100.4°F − 32) × 5/9 = 38°C A medical assistant is preparing a patient who has psoriasis to be examined by the provider. When inspecting the patient's skin lesions, the assistant should expect to observe which of the following characteristics? ✔✔Silvery scaly. A medical assistant is talking with a patient who is experiencing home displacement following a hurricane. To which of the following resources should the assistant refer the patient for information, support and links to community services? ✔✔American Red Cross According to OSHA guidelines for universal precautions, which of the following types of patient contact would require a medical assistant to wear gloves, mask, a face shield, and protective apparel? ✔✔Assisting a provider with the removal of a cyst. OSHA designates assisting with minor surgical procedures as a category 1 task which means the Medical Assistant is at risk for A medical assistant is disposing of the syringe and needle she used to Inject a seasonal influenza vaccine. Which of the following actions should the medical assistant take? ✔✔Drop the syringe, needle first, into the biohazardous sharps container A medical assistant is administering Heparin subcutaneously to a patient. Which of the following actions should the assistant take? ✔✔Inject the medication slowly. Heparin needs to go into the fat layer under the skin. Pinch the skin lightly and put the needle in at a 45º angle. Push the needle all the way into the skin. Let go of the pinched skin. Inject the heparin slowly and steadily until it is all in. leave the needle in for 5 seconds Which of the following groups of EKG leads are bipolar? ✔✔Leads 1, II, and III are three bipolar limb leads that make up Einthoven's Triangle A medical assistant is composing business correspondence using the simplified letter style. Which of the following features should the assistant use? ✔✔A subject line in all capital letters A medical assistant is reviewing a patient's recent medical history and notes that she has a healing fracture of the distal femur. Where on the patient's body should the assistant expect to find the injury? ✔✔Just above the knee. The femur is the longest and strongest bone in the body, it connects the hip to the knee. The term distal refers to a point farthest away from the trunk of the body. Therefore, the distal femur would be located above the knee Which of the following cell structures is instrumental in helping the body mobilize and secrete mucus from the respiratory tract? ✔✔Cilia. Cilia are hair-like projections found in the lungs that are capable of movement and are instrumental in helping with mobilizing and secreting mucus from the respiratory tract. Which af the following information should the MA enter into the appointment calendar when scheduling a patient for a skin rash? ✔✔Daytime phone number. The MA should enter the pt's name, daytime phone number and a brief description of the purpose of the pt's visit A patient tells a medical assistant that his provider's office is incompetent as there is no improvement in his condition. Which of the following is an appropriate response for the assistant ✔✔"I think that you feel that your treatment is not effective". This response validates the pt's feelings A medical assistant is checking a patient's hearing using the Weber test. Which of the following actions should the assistant take? ✔✔Ask the patient if hears the vibration louder in one ear than the other. The Weber test is used to determine if a patient's hearing is better in one ear than the other A medical assistant is speaking with a patient who has seasonal allergies. Whích of the following health care providers should the assistant identify as being able to make a diagnosis and initiate the necessary treatment? ✔✔Physician assistant. As a licensed health care provider, a physician assistant is able to manage patient care, make a diagnosis and initiate treatment which includes writing Rx for medication A medical assistant is responsible for cleaning the instruments used in a minor surgery. Which of the following is the first step in this process? ✔✔Sanitization. Sanitization is the first step of cleaning instruments. All instruments that come into contact with a pt's skin should be sanitized before proceeding with disinfection and sterilization a MA is contacting a patient to schedule a repeat Papanicolaou test due to abnormal results. The assistant should identify that which of the following factors can interfere with the test results? ✔✔Using an over-the-counter vaginal cream prior to the test. A pt should avoid using over-the-counter vaginal creams prior to the test A medical assistant is reinforcing teaching with a patient about pulse oximetry. Which of the following statements should the assistant include in the teaching? ✔✔"Remove your nail polish before the test" There is a light on the oximetry probe that measures a patient's pulse and oxygen saturation, nail polish can affect the reading if it interferes with the light A medical assistant is encouraging a patient to increase her intake of insoluble fiber to help prevent constipation and hemorrhoids. Which of the following foods should the assistant recommend as the best source of insoluble fiber ✔✔Pears with skin. A medium pear with skin contains 4 g of insoluble fiber per serving A medical assistant is reviewing the list of medications a patient reports currently taking The assistant should recognize that which of the following medications is available in a sublingual form? ✔✔Nitroglycerin. Nitrogycerin is a vasodilator that is used to treat angina or chest pain. It is available in a sublingual tablet and sublingual spray. When completing documentation in a patient's paper medical record, a medical assistant realizes she made an error. Which of the following actions should the assistant take? ✔✔Draw a line through the error and initial it. The assistant should draw a line through the error, insert the correction write the date next to the correction and initial or sign the correction. A medical assistant needs to remove all living micro-organisms from a contaminated towel clamp. Which of the following methods should the assistant use to cleanse this instrument? ✔✔Sterilization. Sterilization destroys all microbial life, including bacterial spores through physical or chemical methods. This is the method the assistant should use to cleanse the towel clamp. a MA is preparing a community resource library. Which of the following actions should the assistant take first? ✔✔Comple a list of local community agencies. The first step the MA should take is to research identify and create a list of available local community resources and services Which of the following techniques should a medical assistant use to confirm a patient's understanding of insulin administration? ✔✔Observe the patient as they perform a self- demonstration. Having the pt physicaly demonstrate their understanding of insulin administration allows the assistant to evaluate their comprehension At work, a Medical Assistant cared for a neighbor who sustained multiple injuries in a fall. After work, another neighbor asks the MA what happened to the neighbor who fell. Following the American Association of Medical Assistants' (AAMA) Code of Ethics, which of the following responses should the MA make? ✔✔I can't share any information about what happens at my job. It is the assistants responsability to remain within the legal scope of practice and the AAMA Code of Ethics by mantaining patient confidentiality a MA is preparing to create a report about patients who have a family history of breast cancer. Which of the following types of software will allow the assistant to sort. retrieve, and combine information for this report? ✔✔Database management. The MA should use a database management system to sort and retrieve information quickly. A database allows the MA to track specific information and create customized applications to sort the information and create reports. A medical assistant is cleaning an examination room after assisting a provider with a biopsy. Which of the following actions should the assistant take? ✔✔Hold sharps by the blunt end to avoid a needlestick injury 12 months of age an assistant should select the child's left heel as the collection site for routine testing even if there is a well developed vein available. The heel stick is sufficient and causes less trauma A medical assistant is reviewing laboratory requisitions. For which of the following patient conditions should the assistant perform a capillary collection rather than a venipuncture? ✔✔Previous thromboses. The Medical Assistant should consider a capillary puncture when the amount of blood needed is minimal and a patient has a history of thromboses a Medical Assistant receives a phone call from a patient who seems anxious about the results of a test. Which of the following responses should the assistant make? ✔✔"I know you are concerned about your test results, we will call you as soon as your results come in." The response shows empathy and active listening skills on the part of the assistant which communicates to the patient that the MA recognices his emotions. Empathy allows the assistant to validate the patient's emotions without becoming unprofessional and losing objectivity. During a routine venipuncture, the patient becomes pale and diaphoretic. What condition is most likely to occur in this patient? ✔✔Syncope. The assistant should recognize these manifestations as the onset of syncope and should take the necessary precautions in case the patient faints. which of the following EKG artifacts is caused by a disconnected electrode and results in the tracing going into the margins of the paper? ✔✔Interrupted baseline. Interrupted baseline is caused by an electrical disconnection or a detached electrode and results in the tracing moving into the margins of the paper. A provider has requested a dissecting instrument on a sterile tray that a medical assistant is preparing. Which of the following instruments should the assistant include on the tray? ✔✔Scissors Scissors are considered cutting and dissecting instruments because they include a sharp blade or surface that can cut, dissect, or scrape. A medical assistant is using a butterfly needle set to obtain a blood sample from a vein in a patient's hand. Which of the following actions should the assistant take? ✔✔Hold the needle by its wings. Holding the butterfly needle by its wings helps the Medical Assistant control the needle Which of the following items included on the CMS-1500 claim form should a medical assistant recognize as indicating the medical necessity of a procedure ✔✔Diagnosis code. A diagnosis code indicates the medical necessity for the perfomance of a procedure or provided treatment. Without a supported diagnosis the provider will not receive reimbursement for the procedure. A medical assistant is transcribing a prescription for magnesium sulfate into a patient's medical record. Which of the following should the assistant use to document this medication? ✔✔Magnesium Sulfate. No abreviations Which of the following cardiac procedures is within a medical assistant's scope of practice and does not require a licensed technician or provider to assist or perform it? ✔✔Holter monitor application. A holter monitor is a system for recording cardiac activity for 24 hr or longer, It is within an assistants scope of practice to place and remove a Holter monitor Which of the following actions should a medical assistant take when abtaining the length of an infant during a well-child visit? ✔✔Position the infant on his back. On an examination table with a paper cover and then draw a line on the paper at the infants head and a line at the heel of the extended legs of the ear up and back to manipulate the external ear canal allowing the irrigation solution to circulate through it and drain more easily A medical assistant is using a scale with a height bar to measure a patient's height. Which of the following actions should the assistant take? ✔✔Lower the horizontal bar gently so that it rests on the top of the patients head Which of the following techniques should a medical assistant use for the routine cleaning of EKG cables? ✔✔Disinfection. This is the proper technique to use when cleaning EKG cables. Disinfection is effective on surfaces that come in contact with micro-organisms and will not damage EKG cables Which of the following laboratory results should the medical assistant recognize as abnormal? ✔✔Potassiurm 3 mEq/L This potassium level is below the expected reference range of 3.5 to 5 mEq/t Where do cardiac electrical impulses originate in the heart? ✔✔SinoAtrial node -SA node Impulses are initiated in the sinoatrial node and are then conducted to the atrioventricular node. - AV node According to the regulation of controlled substances, which of the following is true of a Schedule I drug? ✔✔Have no accepted medical use Schedule I drugs have been deemed to have a high potential for abuse, are unavailable for prescription refills, are not available OTC and are not accepted for medical use. Possession of these drugs is illegal. A medical assistant is coding an office visit during which the provider reviewed the systems related to a patient's chief complaint but did not discuss the patient's family or social history. Which of the following procedure codes should the assistant use for this visit? ✔✔Expanded problem-focused history An expanded problem-focused history includes the systems related to the chief complaint but does not include a family or social history. A medical assistant is preparing a patient who has anemia for an examination by the provider. Which of the following manifestations should the assistant expect to find? ✔✔Iregular heartbeat. Irregular heartbeat. fatigue, dizziness, and pale skin are manifestations of anemia. The Patients' Bill of Rights protects individuals from which of the following? ✔✔Denial of care due to the patient's age. This Bill protects patients from being denied fair treatment or participation in research studies due to criteria such as age. A provider has requested a dissecting instrument on a sterile tray that a medical assistant is preparing. Which of the following instruments should the assistant include on the tray? ✔✔Scissors. Scissors are considered cutting and dissecting instruments because they include a sharp blade or surface that can cut dissect or scrape. Which of the following additives should be used when performing a CBC? ✔✔EDTA. EDTA is the proper additive for hematology studies. Which of the following dressings should a medical assistant use on a partial-thickness burn? ✔✔Non-adherent dressing. This type of dressing allows the wound to be exposed to air and heal. Which of the following positions is appropriate for a pelvic examination? ✔✔Lithotomy. Which of the following documents indicates how a patient's medical records will be used and disclosed by a medical office? ✔✔Notice of Privacy Practices -NPP A medical assistant is collecting data from a patient who has cold sores on his lips. The assistant should identify that which of the following viruses causes this condition? ✔✔Herpes simplex type 1. A medical assistant works at a practice that is part of an Accountable Care Organization (ACO). This designation means that the practice's health care team will focus on improving care for patients who have which of the following types of medical coverage? ✔✔Medicare. ACOS have a strong relationship with patient-centered medical homes as mandated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The intention of this relationship is to increase the quality of care for patients who have Medicare health coverage. A medical assistant is talking with a patient who reports forgetting whether she has taken her prescribed medication each day. Which of the following responses should the assistant make? ✔✔Try putting your medications in a weekly medication dispenser for the upcoming week. The assistant is responsible for providing encouragement and guidance for patients when discussing medication compliance. Suggesting the use of a tool designed for maintaining medication compliance is within the assistant's scope of practice. To provide culturally competent care, which of the following actions should a medical assistant take first when encountering patients? ✔✔Examine personal religious and cultural values and beliefs to identify any biases. The first step the assistant should take when providing culturally competent care is to understand their own individual beliefs and value system. A medical assistant is scheduling a patient for an outpatient procedure. Which of the following actions should the assistant take first? ✔✔Obtain an oral or written order from the provider for the procedure. When measuring a patient's respiratory rate, which of the following actions should a medical assistant take to ensure an accurate reading? ✔✔Count the respirations while the patient thinks his pulse is being obtained. to obtain the most accurate reading count the respirations without the patient being aware that his breathing is being assessed. The patient can easily control or alter breathing patterns when he is conscious that the assistant is paying attention to his respirations A medical assistant is administering an injection, and the patient faints. Which of the following actions should the assistant take? ✔✔Place the patient in a supine position. The assistant should place the patient in a supine position to allow the patient's legs to be raised above the level of his heart. A medical assistant is caring for an infant who suddenly becomes unresponsive for unknown reasons, Which of the following actions should the assistant take? ✔✔Initiate CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) If an infant suddenly becomes unresponsive. the assistant should immediately initiate cardiopulmonary resuscitation for 2 min prior to activating emergency response measures. A medical assistant is reviewing a patient's medical history prior to the patient's appointment. Which of the following laboratory results indicates the need to schedule an extension of the current visit? ✔✔Fasting blood glucose 168 mg/dL This fasting blood glucose level is above the expected reference range. 70 to 99 mg/dL is considered normal. 100 to 125 mg/dL is considered prediabetes and anything over 126 mg/dL is considered diabetes Fasting blood glucose levels ✔✔Normal 70 to 99 mg/dl Pre-diabetic 100 to 125 mg/dl Diabetic 126 mg/dl or greater Which of the following terms refers to the range of fees charged by providers who have similar training and experience and practice in the same geographical area? ✔✔Customary This ensures that the third-party payer is receiving the most specific diagnostic code. If a less specific code is used, the claim can be denied due to a pending request for further information Which of the following routes of administration should a medical assistant use when performing a tuberculin skin test? ✔✔Intradermal. Intradermal route of administration applies the medication to the epidermal layer of the skin and allows for subsequent evaluation of the reaction to the tuberculin testing agent. which of the following actions should the medical assistant take when obtaining the head circumference of an infant? ✔✔Record the measurement to the nearest 0.6 cm (1/4 in). The medical assistant drops an instrument on the floor while setting up a sterile tray for a procedure. He picks up the instrument and places it back on the sterile field. A few days after the procedure, the patient calls the office, concerned that the area surrounding the procedure site was infected. Which of the following torts has the assistant committed? ✔✔Negligence resulting in harm to a patient. Medical negligence, also known as malpractice, is a tort in which a medical professional did not perform an essential action or performed an improper one, resulting in harm to a patient. The assistant's failure to mantain a aterile field was a negligent act, resulting in the patients infection A medical assistant receives a call from a patient requesting a refill for fentanyl patches for chronic pain. Which of the following actions should the assistant take? ✔✔Refer the patient's request to the provider. The assistant should recognize fentanyl as a Schedule Il drug that requires a written prescription from the provider. The first step when reviewing a refill request es to contact the provider. A medical assistant is applying a transdermal patch for a patient. Which of the following actions should the assistant take? ✔✔Apply the patch to a hairless area of the patient's skin. Body hair can interfere with the distribution of the medication to the skin. The lower abdomen or upper arm are good location choices for a transdermal patch. A medical assistant is caring for a patient who has terminal colorectal cancer with a life expectancy of 6 months. The patient states, "I don't know if it's time to begin hospice care yet." Which of the following statements should the assistant make? ✔✔"Hospice can help manage your pain and comfort during the final months of your life Several patients arrive at a clinic at the same time requesting care. A medical assistant should recognize that which of the following patient's chief complaints is the priority for the provider to address? ✔✔An adult patient who is experiencing dyspnea and congestion. Dyspnea, or difficulty breathing coupled with congestion can be a sign of a life-threatening medical emergency. A medical assistant must invert anticoagulant tubes to prevent which of the following? ✔✔Clotting A medical assistant should understand that the chain of custody form is used for which of the following? ✔✔Ensuring that a specimen is packaged as directed. The chain custody form ensures accurate collection. transportation, and processing of a specimen. After a patient leaves an examination room, which of the following actions should a medical assistant take to prepare the examination table for the next patient? ✔✔Roll up the disposable paper on the table tightly and quickly. Rolling the paper tightly minimizes the transmission of any contaminants on the paper. The assistant should dispose of the paper quickly and place it in a biohazardous waste container if it is wet or soiled. A medical assistant is caring for a child who has varicella zoster virus. The assistant should recognize that varicella is transferred through which the following modes of transmission? ✔✔Airborne. A medical assistant is collecting vital signs from a 6-year-old child. The assistant should recognize that which of the following vital signs is outside of the expected reference range for this patient and should be reported to the provider? ✔✔Heart rate 140/min A heart rate of 140/min is outside of the expected reference range for a 6-year-old child. A heart rate ranging from 70 to 130min is the expected reference for a 6-year old child. Which of the following parenteral medication routes should a medical assistant administer for a slow release of medication into the blood stream? ✔✔Transdermal. Transdermal patches are infused with medication that is slowly absorbed through the skin and into the blood stream. Which of the following is step in the process of skin preparation prior to a surgical procedure? ✔✔Clean the surgical site with antiseptic. The assistant should clean the site with antiseptic to decrease the number of micro-organisms on the skin and reduce the risk of wound contamination Which of the following is a step in the process of skin preparation prior to a surgical procedure? ✔✔Clean the surgical site with antiseptic. Largest and uppermost section of the brain? ✔✔Cerebrum It's divided into lobes and separated into the right and left hemisphere Located inferior to the occipital lobe and is in control of balance, posture and muscle coordination ✔✔Cerebellum Located inferior to the cerebellum, controls reflexes, plays vital role in respiration, heart rate, blood pressure and the wake/sleep cycle ✔✔Brainstem Located in the center of the cerebrum near the superior portion of the brain stem, this is where the thalamus and hypothalamus are located. Controls sensory neurons and the autonomic nervous system ✔✔Diencephalon The 5 stages of grief ✔✔denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance Sent patients whose insurance don't cover immunizations to ✔✔HHS - department of Health and Human Services A medical assistant receives a small laceration on her arm from the sharps container plastic lid. Which documentation should the assistant complete as a result of this incident? ✔✔OSHA Form 301 OSHA Form 301 is an incident report used when reporting details about a work related injury or illness Sodium level expected reference range ✔✔135 to 145 mEq/L Red blood cell count expected reference range ✔✔For a male patent is 4.7 to 6.1/mm3 For a female patient is 4.2 to 5.4/mm3. Platelets value within the expected reference range ✔✔130 to 400/mm3. Normal range for hemoglobin ✔✔For men 13.5 to 17.5 g/dL For women 12.0 to 15.5 g/dL A characteristic of anorexia nervosa? ✔✔Excessive exercise