MA EXAM GUIDE - PATHOGENS AND ASEPTIC PRINCIPLES

PATHOGENS AND ASEPTIC PRINCIPLES, ASSISTING WITH MINOR SURGERY, LAB PROCEDURES AND DIAGNOSTIC TESTING,

A surface free contamination

sterile field

Gloves, masks and gowns are known as

personal protective equipment

Washing instruments to remove debris

sanitization

Absence of bacteria

asepsis

Bacteria that thrive in oxygen

aerobes

An organism that produces disease

pathogen

Molds and yeasts are types of

fungi

Instruments touched by ungloved hands are

contaminated

Destruction of all microorganisms

sterilization

Hinged instruments should be __ when sterilized

open

Use of heat and pressure to kill all microorganisms

autoclaving

Required document meeting Cal/OSHA safety standards

Exposure Control Plan

Common cleansing product for skin

povidone-iodine

Microorganism that does not respond to antibiotics

virus

A sterile pack containing scissors, thumb forceps and gauze squares is called a

suture removal pack

Solution used to preserve tissue samples

formalin

Effective dressing technique to apply pressure to an incision or wound

roller bandage

The term for removal of contaminated materials from a wound is

debridement

Scrubbing the surgical site in a circular motion from the center to the edge

surgical skin prep

Removing fluids or gasses by suction is called

aspiration

Flushing out a wound or cavity with a solution is called

irrigation

Instrument used to hold suture

needle holder

A sterile surface containing sterile items

surgical tray

Item worn to prevent contamination of patients

surgical gloves

The abbreviations s/s, s/b and b/b describe surgical

scissors

Instruments used to clamp off blood vessels

hemostats

A sterile covering placed over a wound is called a

dressing

Other term for ligature that can be identified as 2-0, 3-0, 6-0

suture

Medication administered to eliminate sensation during a procedure

anesthetic

A mandate to protect against the spread of infection to healthcare workers or patients

Universal/Standard Precautions

Physical, chemical and microscopic examination

QC

A chemical that prevents clotting in a blood specimen

heparin/EDTA

Material that presents a risk of possible infection

biological hazard

The preferred site for capillary testing

3rd/4th fingertip

Adjustment of equipment to insure accuracy

calibration

A chemical that will bring about a reaction

reagent

Federal program to insure quality laboratory testing

CLIA

Legal process of documenting the security of lab specimens

Chain of study

A sterile swab would be used for a

wound culture

The intensity of color in a urine for microscopic exam

concentration

Equipment used to prepare urine specimen indicates

centrifuge

A low complexity lab test is a

waived test

Quality control in the laboratory ensures the __ of results

accuracy

Stool specimens are tested for

occult blood

Tuberculosis can be diagnosed from a

sputum specimen

A urine specimen for a culture is best obtained by

clean catch

Fruity odor in urine that results from excess burning of fat

ketones

Liquid in which other substances can be dissolved

solution

Procedures performed before using laboratory equipment

QC

Common test to check for anemia

hemoglobin

The portion of the reading that shows no electrical activity

Baseline

The segment that represents ventricular contraction

QRS complex

An extended reading of lead II

Rhythm strip

The region of the heart that initiates a heartbeat

SA node

A loose lead could cause a disturbance in the reading called a/an

Artifact

The lead attached to the right border of the sternum at the 4h intercostal space

V1

The readings on the EKG that are referred to as aVR, aVL, & aVF

Augmented leads

A regular heartbeat

Sinus rhythm

The segment that represents atrial contraction

Pwave

A complete heart beat represented from a P wave through the T wave

cardiac cycle

The repolarization (re-charge) of the heart muscle

T wave

A reading with an extended baseline between beats could represent

Bradycardia

What occurs when a urine specimen stays at room temperature for more than 30 minutes?

Bacteria multiply

A standard ECG consists of how many leads?

12

The general function of WBCs is to

fight infection.

Healthcare employers are required to offer which of the following vaccines to employees?

Hepatitis B

Cholesterol and triglycerides are tested in a

lipid panel.

A patient who is fasting should not eat for

8-12 hours.

When a patient has no obvious veins in the antecubital space the medical assistant may try to obtain a specimen from the

back of hand.

The type of diabetes that is caused by impaired insulin metabolism is

type ll.

What is the most common position for a pelvic exam?

Lithotomy

A tourniquet for venipuncture should not remain in place longer than

1 minute.

Best practice for a capillary puncture is to

wipe away the first drop of blood.

Terms that describe lung sounds include

rales and rhonchi.

Which of the following temperatures is considered most accurate?

Temporal

What can be tried to remedy a wandering baseline on an ECG?

Check for loose electrodes

The first thing the medical assistant should do before obtaining a laboratory specimen is

verify patient with two identifiers.

Dysuria is a condition of

painful urination.

When performing a swab for a throat culture it is best to

aim for the posterior pharynx and tonsils.

What is the most common position for a rectal exam?

Sim’s

Which document is most comprehensive when a patient desires to spell out their wishes for future medical care?

Advance directive

The most common methods to screen for TB include

skin or blood test.

The muscle layer that allows light into the eye is the

iris.