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Quiz Session - Attempts With Random Questions

NHA CCMA Exam Questions

Page 5 of 25

81.

For an MA, what is an acceptable reason to answer a personal phone during a shift at work?

  • You set the ringer to only go off for certain contacts, and you receive two unexpected calls in a row from your child's elementary school.

  • You're waiting for your boyfriend to tell you he was accepted to law school.

  • You forget to turn the ringer off and get a call from an unknown number.

  • You accidentally answer the phone and think it would be rude to hang up without saying anything.

Correct answer: You set the ringer to go off for certain contacts, and you receive two unexpected calls in a row from your child's elementary school.

Even within the boundaries of professionalism, it is sometimes appropriate to answer the phone while at work. Only do this in emergencies, and never in front of a patient. 

82.

A two-year-old boy is scheduled for a routine well-child exam today. His mother is worried about his vision. She explains that she and her husband both wear glasses, so she is sure that her child will need glasses too. 

Which of the following is true about vision screening in children?

  • The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends vision screenings beginning at ages 3 to 5 years for all children.

  • The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends vision screenings for children at age 2 with a family history of vision problems. 

  • At age 2, eye-hand coordination and depth perception have not developed, so it is best to delay vision screening until age 5.

  • Eye-hand coordination and depth perception develop after age 3, so patients should be screened at 4 years of age.

Correct answer: The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends vision screenings beginning at ages 3 to 5 years for all children.

By the age of 2, eye-hand coordination and depth perception should be developed fairly well. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends screening after age 3, regardless of a family history of vision problems.

83.

Which of the following pieces of information does not need to be included in an incident report?

  • Insurance information

  • Date and time of the incident

  • Names of the people involved or injured

  • Names of witnesses

Correct answer: Insurance information

The insurance information of the person injured is not needed in an incident report. 

The information needed to file an incident report includes—but is not limited to—the date and time of the incident, the names of all people involved or injured, the names of all witnesses, a description of the incident, and a description of the injury. 

84.

Which common emergency medications given by injection are kept in a clinic crash cart?

  • Glucagon and epinephrine

  • Penicillin and glucagon

  • Dilaudid and tegretol

  • Morphine and penicillin

Correct answer: Glucagon and epinephrine

Glucagon is kept on hand in case of a diabetic emergency and is given to a diabetic patient with low blood sugar who is unconscious. Epinephrine (adrenaline) is kept available for patients with anaphylactic reactions.

Penicillin is an antibiotic available in most clinics, but it is not generally used in an emergency.

Dilaudid is a sedative. Tegretol is an anticonvulsant. Both are used in the hospital for emergencies, but not generally in a clinical setting due to the complexities of their use.

Morphine is an opiate analgesic and is used in a hospital setting for patients requiring specific pain management.

85.

What is an example of ambulatory care?

  • The patient comes to the care facility instead of receiving care at home or in the hospital.

  • The care provider comes to the patient either at home or in the hospital.

  • Care is only available in a multispecialty clinic.

  • Care is given to a patient on an inpatient basis in a hospital.

Correct answer: The patient comes to the care facility instead of receiving treatment at home or in the hospital.

Ambulatory (walking/moving) care means the patient comes to the care facility, versus the physician visiting the patient at home.

86.

What supplies are needed to administer medication from an ampule?

  • Filter needle, gauze pads, alcohol, gloves

  • Prefilled disposable syringe, gloves, gauze pad, alcohol

  • Multi-dose vial, filter needle, syringe, gauze, alcohol

  • Filter needle, syringe, gauze, gloves, pressure bandage

Correct answer: Filter needle, gauze pads, alcohol, gloves

An ampule is a small glass vial containing a single dose of medication. Since the medical assistant must break the glass to get the medication out, they will need gauze and a filter needle, along with a syringe, gloves, and alcohol pads. 

87.

Travis is examining an ECG tracing and observes a U wave after the T wave. What could this finding suggest about the patient?

  • The person could have abnormal calcium levels.

  • The EKG tech could have positioned the leads incorrectly.

  • The person could have been intoxicated during the ECG.

  • The person could have been moving or talking during the procedure.

Correct answer: The person could have abnormal calcium levels.

A U wave is usually not seen. When it shows after a T wave, it is created from the repolarization of the Purkinje fibers in the ventricles. It may also happen if the patient has hypercalcemia, hypocalcemia, or digoxin toxicity.

88.

A medical assistant is the office manager of a primary care physician's office. An inspector from the state health department asks to see a variety of documents, including the practice's Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) waiver. The MA looks through documents in the administrative office files and has some trouble finding the paper. 

Which of the following is needed?

  • A certificate issued by CMS that expires 2 years from the printed date

  • A signed letter from the State Department that is valid for 3 years

  • A letter signed by the Director of CMS showing CLIA eligibility for 5 years

  • A certificate from Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments valid for 3 years

Correct answer: A certificate issued by CMS that expires 2 years from the printed date

The CLIA waiver is a white certificate with a blue border, issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which manages the CLIA program. The certificate allows the office to perform low-risk lab tests, such as a point-of-care pregnancy test. CLIA waiver certificates are valid for two years.

89.

Laura, a medical assistant, is talking with a patient and recording the information on her health history form. The patient is recalling details about major illnesses, childhood diseases, unusual infections, accidents, and injuries.

Under which section should Laura put this information that the patient provides?

  • Medical history

  • Surgical history

  • Family history

  • Social history

Correct answer: Medical history

The patient is providing information about major illnesses, childhood diseases, unusual infections, accidents, and injuries that fall under the category of medical history.

  • Medical history includes information about the patient's major illnesses, surgeries, and medical conditions.
  • Surgical history focuses specifically on the patient's past surgeries.
  • Family history involves details about the health status of the patient's blood relatives, including major illnesses and other familial conditions.
  • Social history covers lifestyle-related aspects, such as education, occupation, living environment, diet, personal history, and exercise.

90.

A medical assistant is responsible for sterilizing instruments using an autoclave in a busy medical facility. After a sterilization cycle, the assistant notices that the paper covering a pack of instruments is damp. 

What should be the assistant's initial step to address this issue?

  • Investigate potential causes, including checking for a clogged chamber drain and ensuring proper loading, before taking corrective action.

  • Clean the chamber with a mild detergent solution.

  • Report the issue to the facility's maintenance team.

  • Ignore the damp autoclave paper, as it is a common occurrence and does not impact instrument sterility.

Correct answer: Investigate potential causes, including checking for a clogged chamber drain and ensuring proper loading, before taking corrective action.

Cleaning the chamber would be the correct intervention for a dirty chamber that causes stained autoclave paper. 

91.

Which of the following conditions does cervical cryotherapy treat?

  • Cervical dysplasia

  • Irregular menses

  • Post-menopausal vaginal bleeding

  • Cervical incompetence

Correct answer: Cervical dysplasia

Cervical cryotherapy destroys dysplasia, or abnormal cells showing changes that may lead to cancer.

92.

An ambulatory patient is unsteady while standing on the scale. Which modification is appropriate for getting a safe measurement of this patient?

  • Place a walker over the scale for the patient to hang onto while being weighed

  • Have the patient leave one foot on the ground, place the other foot on the scale, and lean forward

  • Allow the patient to hug the back of the scale for balance while being weighed

  • Inform the physician that a weight measurement cannot be obtained

Correct answer: Place a walker over the scale for the patient to hang onto while being weighed

Placing a walker over the scale allows the patient to hang onto the walker bars to steady themselves while being weighed. If a walker isn't available, the patient may hold onto safety rails beside the scale. 

93.

What is true about body mass index (BMI)?

  • BMI is used as a screening tool.

  • BMI strongly correlates with lean muscle mass.

  • BMI can be measured using a body fat caliper.

  • BMI can help identify children at risk of childhood disease. 

Correct answer: BMI is used as a screening tool.

A person’s height and weight can be used to determine their BMI. Since a higher BMI is associated with higher body fat, the index is used as a screening tool to identify people who could be at risk for obesity-related diseases.

94.

You must run an EKG on a patient who has a hand tremor related to Parkinson’s disease. What interventions should you take to get an accurate tracing?

  • Observe the patient and start when the tremor lessens.

  • Give the patient a piece of chewing gum so they can concentrate on their jaw movement.

  • Turn off the machine’s muscle tremor filter.

  • Ask the patient questions to engage the communication region of their brain.

Correct answer: Observe the patient and start when the tremor lessens.

For patients with involuntary movements, the MA can minimize artifacts on the EKG tracing by taking these steps.

  • Help the patient relax.
  • Offer the patient a blanket.
  • Remind the patient to avoid moving or talking during the EKG tracing.
  • Turn on the muscle tremor filter if available.
  • Start the tracing when the tremor lessens.

95.

When the MA is taking a medical history, the patient reports an abnormal pap smear that revealed HSIL, but her doctor removed it. She doesn't recall what the surgery was called.

Which operation did the patient likely undergo?

  • Loop electrosurgical excision

  • Pelvic exam

  • Vulvoplasty

  • Colposcopy

Correct answer: Loop electrosurgical excision

A loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) is used to remove abnormal lesions from the cervix for further testing. Since the patient says the doctor removed the high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) noted on her pap smear, this is likely the procedure she had. 

Pelvic exam and colposcopy are procedures to look at the cervix but not to remove tissue. A vulvoplasty is a gender-affirming surgery for transwomen.  

96.

You are measuring a patient's peak flow rate using a manual meter. Which instruction should you give the patient?

  • "Please discard your chewing gum in a tissue and remove your jacket."

  • "Take three small breaths, and then blow hard and fast until your lungs are empty."

  • "Place the mouthpiece in your mouth and seal your lips, then suck in as much air as you can."

  • "Blow into the peak flow meter until you reach 300 and then stop."

Correct answer: "Please discard your chewing gum in a tissue and remove your jacket."

During a peak flow test, tight and heavy clothes or chewing gum can make it hard for patients to do the breathing maneuver properly. Both can interfere with test accuracy. Additional instructions are as follows:

  1. Take the deepest breath you can to fill your lungs.
  2. Seal your lips tightly around the mouthpiece opening.
  3. Blow hard as quickly as you can to fully empty your lungs.
  4. Do not block the mouthpiece with your tongue when blowing.

The force of the air from the patient's lungs causes the marker to rise on the meter. The MA should record the volume from the best of three attempts. 

97.

Which statement is true about backup systems?

  • All medical offices should have a backup system implemented to protect electronic health records (EHRs)

  • All medical offices should have a paper-based filing system as a backup to electronic health records (EHRs)

  • With internet accessibility, backup systems are not needed for electronic health records (EHRs)

  • Every patient should have a detailed account of their health information in case it is damaged or destroyed at the medical office.

Correct answer: All medical offices should have a backup system implemented to protect electronic health records (EHRs)

Every medical office should implement a regular backup system for their EHRs. This will ensure that the information added to the EHR is saved on the computerized system elsewhere in case it is lost or damaged. Hard drives, digital video disks, and other devices are important to use in keeping EHRs safe.

A paper-based backup system is not needed if the medical office regularly backs up its EHR system. Even with readily available internet, system backups aid in keeping EHRs safe and protected. Although patients should have a detailed account of their medical history, patients should not be held accountable for keeping the medical office's EHRs safe. 

98.

A patient experiencing diabetic shock may have fast respiration, confusion, and weakness. What is the first treatment to reverse diabetic shock in a conscious patient before symptoms progress?

  • Administer oral glucose or juice, a non-diet soft drink, honey, or table sugar dissolved in water

  • Administer one unit of the patient's long-acting insulin

  • Administer water

  • Ask the patient to eat a high-carbohydrate food

Correct answer: Administer oral glucose or juice, a non-diet soft drink, honey, or table sugar dissolved in water

A patient experiencing diabetic shock has had a severe drop in blood sugar, leaving the body with nothing to use for fuel. The lack of glucose affects the brain, and, if left untreated, can lead to unconsciousness. Provide this patient with oral glucose from a pre-measured tube or from household beverages that contain sugar.  

If possible, the patient should drink a beverage instead of eating food, as a liquid can be digested more quickly. Administering water or insulin would not have the desired effect at this point.

99.

Postoperative instructions for suture insertion should include which of the following?

  • Avoid scratching or picking at the sutures and incision sites.

  • Go to the emergency room if sutures break or become loose.

  • Apply hydrocortisone cream if the site becomes red, swollen, or draining.

  • Tub baths are permitted but not swimming until the sutures are removed. 

Correct answer: Avoid scratching or picking at the sutures and incision sites.

Incision and suture lines should be kept clean and dry to prevent infection. Scratching or picking the site could transfer bacteria to the wound. 

It is not recommended to apply any creams to the site or to take a tub bath with a fresh surgical wound. If the incision becomes red, swollen, or draining or if sutures or staples come loose, the patient should call the doctor's office. It is unnecessary to go to the emergency room. 

100.

A patient has a profusely bleeding wound on his left dorsal forearm. He sits in a chair in the waiting room, looking pale and diaphoretic. The doctor tells you to administer first aid. You have already put on gloves and identified yourself to the patient. What is the next thing you should do?

  • Place gauze over the wound and hold it firmly with your gloved hand, applying steady pressure to help slow the bleeding.

  • Elevate the arm above heart level to slow the bleeding.

  • Place gauze and an ice pack over the wound. The ice will narrow the blood vessels and slow bleeding. 

  • Position the patient on his back in case he loses consciousness.

Correct answer: Place gauze over the wound and hold it firmly with your gloved hand, applying steady pressure to help slow the bleeding.

Apply direct pressure to a bleeding wound before elevating the extremity, if applicable. Direct pressure helps limit bleeding and allows the vessels to begin to clot. If gauze is not available, you may apply direct pressure with only your gloved hand until materials become available. 

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