NHA: Medical Assistant(CCMA) Certification Practice Test 2.0 A

A medical assistant is preparing a patient who has congestive heart failure (CHF) for an examination by the provider. Which of the following manifestations should the assistant expect?

Shortness of breath (SOB)

When measuring a patients respiratory rate, which of the following actions should a medical assistant take to ensure an accurate reading?

Count the respiration's while the patient thinks his pulse is being obtained.

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

Potassium 3 mEq/L

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

A medical assistant is replacing a sharps container in an examination room and receives a small laceration on her arm from the plastic lid. Which of the following types of documentation should the assistant complete as a result of this incident?

OSHA Form 301

A medical assistant is reviewing a patient's 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

A medical assistant is reinforcing instructions with a patient about how to take a buccal tablet.which of the following instructions should the assistant give the patient?

"Place the tablet between you or gums and cheek."

Which of the following terms should a medical assistant use to tell a provider that a patient is having discomfort and difficulty breathing?

Dyspnea

Which of the following methods is used to notify a provider of the denial of a claim by an insurance carrier?

Remittance advice

Which of the following positions is appropriate for a pelvic exam?

Lithotomy

Which of the following cardiac procedures is within a medical assistants scope of practice and does not require a licensed technician or provider to assist or perform it?

Holter monitor application

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

A medical assistant receives a telephone 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'll call you as soon as your results come in."

A medical assistant is assisting with the physical examination of a patient who has scabies. Besides gloves, which of the following pieces of personal protective equipment should the assistant wear?

Gown

A patient loses consciousness. The EKG reveals ventricular fibrillation. Which of the following actions should a medical assistant take first?

Call for help and begin CPR

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.

Where should a medical assistant place the electrode for lead V5?

On the left anterior axillary line, horizontal to 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

Which of the following techniques should a medical assistant use when bandaging a wound?

Wrap the wound from distal to proximal

Which of the following is outside of a medical assistant's scope of practice?

Order additional laboratory tests to confirm the patient's condition.

A patient is seen in an urgent care center for a laceration to the left foot. The provider evaluates the injury, determines sutures are not needed, applies a dressing, and releases the patient. Which of the following levels of examination should a medical assistant use for the procedural coding for this visit?

Problem focused examination.

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

Recent laboratory results.

A medical assistant is reviewing a provider's instructions as the patient is preparing to leave the office. The provider recommends that the patient purchase an over-the-counter antitussive, but the patient tells the assistant that she does not know what an antitussive is. Which of the following responses should the assistant make?

"It is a medication that suppresses the cough reflex."

A medical assistant is reinforcing teaching with a patient about the use and care of a transdermal patch. Which of the following instructions should the assistant include in the teaching?

Select a different application location for each new patch.

In which of the following positions should a medical assistant place a healthy patient in preparation for a rectal examination.

Sims'

Which of the following steps for a finger stick should a medical assistant complete first?

Confirm the correct identity of the patient.

Which of the following cell structures is instrumental in helping the body mobilize and secrete mucus from the respiratory tract?

Cilia

A medical assistant in an outpatient facility is preparing for a venipuncture. Which of the following actions should the assistant take to confirm the patient's identity?

Ask the patient to state and spell their full name and provide their date of birth.

A medical assistant is reinforcing teaching about a cardiac event monitor with a patient. Which of the following statements by the patient indicates an understanding of the procedure?

"I will record any symptoms I experience in the event log."

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.

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 needles seal.

A medical assistant 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 medical assistant has requested a preauthorization for a patient's referral to a specialist. Which of the following is a reason for the claim submitted by the specialist to be denied?

The service is provided after the expiration date.

A medical assistant has a request to collect a routine CBC from a healthy 10 month old infant. Which of the following is the most appropriate collection site?

Left heel

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 to make?

"I think that you feel that your treatment is not effective."

A medical assistant is preparing a community resource library. Which of the following actions should the assistant take first?

Compile a list of local community agencies.

Which of the following information should the medical assistant enter into the appointment calendar when scheduling a patient for a skin rash?

Daytime phone number.

A patient asks a medical assistant to explain the difference between a liniment and a medical lotion. Which of the following responses should the assistant make?

"Liniments contain a higher portion of oil than medicated lotions."

A medical assistant is removing sutures from a patient who has a laceration on his lower left leg. After setting up the sterile field, which of the following actions should the assistant take?

Lift the first knot away from the skin.

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 patients body should the assistant expect to find the injury?

Just above the knee.

A patient reports getting a bill that includes services she did not receive. Which of the following actions should a medical assistant take to reconcile these charges?

Review that days encounter forms to determine if another patient received the services.

A medical assistant is monitoring an infant patient for microcephaly. Which of the following describes the anthropometric measurement that the assistant should perform?

Head Circumference

A medical assistant is faxing a prescription to a patients pharmacy. Which of the following actions should the assistant take?

Call the pharmacy to confirm receipt of the faxed prescription.

A medical assistant is collecting a health history from an older adult patient who exhibits moderate hearing loss. Which of the following actions should the assistant take?

Remain within the patient's view to allow lip-reading.

A medical assistant is performing spirometry testing for a patient who has shortness of breath. Which of the following results of the spirometry test indicates a successful maneuver?

A fast and steady flow with no variability.

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 medical assistant is reinforcing teaching with a patient about the self-administration of insulin injections. Which of the following patient statements indicates an understanding of the teaching?

I will roll the bottle between my hands before drawing the medication.

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.

Which of the following items included on the CMS-1500 claim form should a medical assistant recognize as indicating the medical necessary of a procedure?

Diagnosis code

A provider examines an older adult patient who is disabled and has a lesion on her arm. A medical assistant should anticipate a referral for this patient to which of the following ancillary services?

Home healthcare

A medical assistant is determining the amount a patient will be required to pay for a scheduled procedure that has an allowable amount of $200. The patient has a 90/10 coinsurance and has met his deductible. What is the total amount the patient will pay the provider for this procedure?

$20

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 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.

A provider places an open sharps container in the linen hamper by mistake. Which of the following is appropriate action for the medical assistant to take?

dispose of the linen hampers contents as a biohazard.

A patient calls the clinic to cancel a postoperative appointment and states that she will reschedule at a later date. For which of the following reasons should the medical assistant document to see information on the patient's chart?

To prove that the office was not negligent.

A medical assistant is entering a new prescription into a patient's electronica medical record. While entering the prescription, and alert notifying this is another medication interaction appears on the screen. Which of the following actions should the assistant take?

Consult with the provider before continuing to process the prescription.

A medical assistant is caring for a child who has varicella zoster virus. The assistant should recognize that varicella is transferred through which of the following mode of transmission?

Airborne

Which of the following techniques should a medical assistant use to confirm a patient's understanding of insulin administration?

Observe the patient as she performs a self-demonstration.

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 who has the earliest birth month.

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

Intradermal

A medical assistant 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 assistance to sort, retrieve, and combine information for this report?

Database management

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 administering eye ointment to a patient. Which of the following actions should the assistant take?

Apply a thin ribbon of ointment along the conjunctival sac.

A medical assistant discovers a garbage can fire has started in the break room of the medical office. According to the RACE acronym for emergency response, which of the following actions should the assistant take first?

Evacuate staff and patients from the immediate area.

A patient request a female provider to perform her examination due to a religious conviction. A female provider is not available. Which of the following is the appropriate response by the medical assistant?

Assist the patient in locating a provider to accommodate the patient's needs.

In medical system is reviewing a Medicare claim denial. The assistant determines that there are charges that exceed the usual, customary, and reasonable fees. Which of the following actions should the assistant take?

Adjust the patient's account to reflect no unpaid charges and write off the balance.

A medical assistant is caring for a 4 month old infant who has a temperature of 100.4 Fahrenheit. Which of the following is the temperature when converted to Celsius?

38 C

A medical assistant should use which of the following solutions to prepare a patient's skin prior to drawing blood cultures?

Chlorhexidine

Which of the following cell structures is the source of energy for cell?

mitochondria

Which of the following items in a medical office are considered administrative office supplies?

Letterhead, envelopes, and business cards.

A medical assistant is speaking with a patient who recently received a terminal diagnosis. The patient 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 assistant should identify that the patient is in which of the following stages of grief?

Depression

When completing documentation in a patient's paper medical record, a medical assistant realize that she made an error. Which of the following actions should the assistant take?

Draw a line through the error and initial it.

A medical assistant is measuring the vital signs of an adult patient. The assistant should identify which of the following blood pressure readings a stage two hypertension?

150/95mm Hg

A medical assistant is administering an intradermal injection for allergy testing. Which of the following actions should the assistant take?

Locate the area two to three finger widths below the antecubital space.

A medical assistant is explaining to a female patient how to collect a clean catch urine specimen. Which of the following instruction should the assistant include?

With the labia spread, urinate a small amount into the toilet before collecting the sample.

A medical assistant is preparing sterilization for hemostats before an invasive procedure. Which of the following techniques shit Assistant use?

Autoclave

Which of the following techniques should a medical system is for the routine cleaning of EKG cables?

Disinfection

When using a centrifuge, a medical assistant must do which of the following to ensure safety and accuracy?

Cap the tubes to avoid emission of aerosols.

At what time of day will a patient's body temperature be at its lowest?

In the morning

A medical assistant is administering an intramuscular immunization to a patient. What is the following actions should the medical assistant take?

Cleanse the site in a circular motion from the center outward.

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.

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

A medical assistant is witnessing a patient sign an informed consent form. Which of the following is the responsibility of the assistant acting as a witness?

Validate the patient signature.

Medical assistant is speaking with a patient who has seasonal allergies. Which of the following healthcare providers should assistant identify as being able to make a diagnosis and initiate the necessary treatment?

Physician assistant

When should the code on glucose cuvettes be compared to the code on the glucometer?

Before a patient is test

A medical assistant is preparing to perform a capillary collection from an older adult patient who has poor circulation in his hands. Which of the following techniques with assistant used to increase circulation at the collection site?

Warm the patient's hand.

A medical assistant is administering heparin subcutaneously to a patient. Which of the following actions should the assistant take?

Inject the medication slowly

A medical assistant receives a chemical splash in her eyes. Which of the following actions should the assistant take first?

Flush the eyes out with tepid water.

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.

Which of the following routes for taking a patient's temperature is the most accurate?

Rectal

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 patient's head.

Which of the following pieces of legislation keeps health care staff safe from retaliation by their employers when they report cases of patient neglect and abuse?

Whistleblower Protection Act

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

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

Which of the following groups of EKG leads are bipolar?

Leads I, II, and III

According to OSHA guidelines for universal precautions, which of the following types of patient contact would require a medical assistant to work gloves, a mask, face shield, and protective apparel?

Assisting a provider with the removal of a cyst.

When informed consent is required for procedure, which of the following steps should occur prior to the patient signing the form?

The provider should review alternative procedures with the patient.

What are the following should the medical assistant identify as the purpose of a category II code in procedural coding?

Tracks provider performance measures.

If fission was on a clinic with a bill for x-rays that required due to an injury at the patient's please employment. The patient has private insurance and is eligible for Worker's compensation. Assistant should recognize that which of the following parties is responsible for payment of this bill?

Paid in full by workers' compensation.

A medical assistant is preparing a patient who has bilateral below the knee amputations for an EKG. Which of the following sites should assistant select for electrode placement?

Abdomen

In which of the following locations should a medical assistant place the electrode for lead V4?

Fifth intercostal space, left midclavicular line.