NHA CCMA Review 4

Which of the following laboratory results should the medical assistant recognize is abnormal?

• Sodium 138 mEq/L

• Red blood cell count 5.2/mm³

• Platelets 350/mm³

• Potassium 3 mEq/L

A medical assistant has a blood pressure cuff inflated and partially opens the valve to deflate as he listens with a stethoscope. When should he read the diastolic pressure?

• When the sound disappears

• When the repetitive sounds begin

• When the sounds change from strong to muffled

• When the sounds change from swishing to sharp

A medical assistant is collecting a urine specimen from a patient for drug screening. Which of the following actions should the assistant take to adhere to the chain of custody for this specimen?

• Ensure the specimen has a volume of 20 mL

• Record the specimen's temperature 8 minutes after collection

• Send the specimen to the testing laboratory on the same day as the collection

• Ask the provider to supervise the collection and shipment of the specimen

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

• Swab fluids from the biopsy site

• Retract the edges of the biopsy site

• Place sutures at the incision site

A medical assistant receives a telephone call from a patient who is hesitant about discussing a new medical concern unless the conversation is with a provider. The assistant should use which of the following techniques to address the patient's reluctance?

• Tell the patient that he has nothing to worry about

• Ask the patient why he does not trust the assistant with the information

• Use a reflective statement to recognize the patient's concerns

• Provide examples of patients who have similar concerns to reassure the patient

Which of the following actions should a medical assistant take to verify the quality of venipuncture supplies before beginning a blood draw?

• Determine that the tourniquet is the proper size

• Check the vacuum of the tube

• Inspect the integrity of the needle's seal

• Verify that the adapter is the correct color

Prior to a patient's follow-up appointment, which of the following information should a medical assistant report to the provider?

• Anthropometric measurements

• The date of an upcoming mammogram appointment

• Recent laboratory results

• A change in the patient's insurance policy

Which of the following routes of administration should a medical assistant use when performing a tuberculin skin test?

• Intramuscular

• Intradermal

• Intravenous

• Subcutaneous

A medical assistant is discussing information with a patient about a new medication that the provider prescribes. Which of the following actions should the assistant take?

• Instruct the patient to stop taking the medication when the symptoms resolve

• Reinforce teaching about the frequency of medication administration

• Tell the patient to disregard new adverse effects

• Tell the patient to modify the dose as necessary

When performing the palpatory method for obtaining blood pressure, which of the following indicates the level at which the medical assistant should inflate the cuff?

• 30 mm Hg above the radial pulse cessation

• 30 mm Hg above the brachial pulse cessation

• 30 mm Hg above the reappearance of the radial pulse

• 30 mm Hg above the reappearance of the brachial pulse