AAMA CMA Practice Test

A consultation report is written by a specialist and includes their findings and recommendations after evaluating a patient that has been referred to them by the primary care physician. The report is an essential part of the patient's medical records for ongoing care coordination.

Checking for responsiveness and calling for help is the immediate next step when you find an unresponsive patient, provided the scene is safe. If the patient does not respond, you should then call for emergency medical services (EMS) prior to initiating any other intervention. Checking for breathing and a pulse simultaneously is done as part stable patient assessment, but it does not precede the urgency of calling for EMS. Administering CPR comes after calling EMS unless you are alone, then you should perform CPR immediately after calling for help and verifying the patient is unresponsive and not breathing or not breathing normally. Initiating chest compressions should not be the immediate next step without first assessing responsiveness and breathing and calling for help.

The first step is to remove the contaminated clothing and begin rinsing the affected skin with water. It's critical to remove any substances that could continue to cause harm to the patient's skin and to prevent absorption. Incorrect answers include waiting for symptoms to appear or using a neutralizing agent, which might not be appropriate for all chemicals and should only be used if specifically recommended for the substance involved. Providing an antidote is not the immediate first step, as this would follow medical evaluation and identification of the chemical involved. The priority is to remove the substance and minimize further exposure.

The correct action is to remove the electronic blood pressure monitor from service and have it calibrated. This action is crucial because consistent discrepancy in readings against a known calibrated device indicates a potential issue with the monitor's accuracy. Using an uncalibrated or faulty blood pressure monitor can lead to misdiagnosis or incorrect treatment decisions. Hence, it should not be used until it is calibrated and verified to be working correctly. Checking the batteries is a good practice, but inconsistent readings are more indicative of a calibration issue. Contacting a supervisor may delay the calibration process and patient care should not continue with potentially inaccurate equipment. Ignoring the discrepancy is not an option because it compromises patient care.

Suture scissors, also known as stitch scissors or suture removal scissors, have a small hook on one of the blades, which is specifically designed to slide under sutures to lift and cut them without harming the patient's skin. Other types of scissors may not have this hook and could potentially cause injury if used for suture removal.

Projection is a defense mechanism where individuals deflect unwanted emotions or traits they don't like about themselves onto someone else, rather than admitting to or dealing with the unwanted feelings. Denial involves ignoring the existence of a distressing reality, suppression is a conscious form of exclusion of uncomfortable thoughts, and regression is the reversion to an earlier stage of development in the face of unacceptable thoughts or impulses.

Securing prior authorization is essential for non-urgent, potentially high-cost services because insurance companies typically require this step to approve the medical necessity of the service and determine coverage under the patient's health plan. If prior authorization is not obtained when required, the insurance provider may deny payment, which can result in financial responsibility being transferred to the patient and revenue loss for the healthcare provider. Verifying only the patient's eligibility for coverage does not ensure that the scheduled service will be covered. Confirming the appointment without insurance verification may lead to last-minute cancellations or financial complications. Delaying the insurance verification process until the patient arrives for the procedure can lead to postponed services and a suboptimal patient experience.

For a sutured wound with signs of slight redness and swelling but no purulent discharge, the appropriate step would be to cleanse the wound with a mild antiseptic solution and apply a fresh, sterile dressing. This approach will help minimize the risk of infection and promote healing. Cleaning it with hydrogen peroxide or applying an antibiotic ointment without evaluating for an allergy could potentially harm the tissue or cause an allergic reaction. Ignoring these mild signs and advising the patient to remove the sutures themselves could lead to infection or poor wound healing.

The urea breath test is a non-invasive diagnostic procedure commonly used to detect the presence of Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium often associated with peptic ulcers. The patient ingests a urea solution labeled with a radioactive or non-radioactive carbon isotope. If H. pylori is present, it converts the urea into carbon dioxide, which is then measured in the patient's breath to confirm infection. The stool antigen test, while also used to detect H. pylori, is less specific for active peptic ulcer disease. Blood antibody tests can only indicate exposure to H. pylori and not necessarily an active infection. An esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is an invasive procedure that allows direct visualization of the upper gastrointestinal tract but is typically reserved for when initial non-invasive tests are inconclusive.

Medical assistants must verify the patient's eligibility for the service date, as coverage under programs like State Children's Health Insurance Program can change due to various factors such as income changes or other eligibility requirements. Therefore, confirming the patient's eligibility for the coverage on the day of the visit is essential for appropriate billing. Verifying a parent's employer information or the primary care provider's credentials are also important but do not specifically relate to the eligibility of the service on that date. The number of previous clinic visits does not directly affect the coverage but might influence the type of service provided.

The patient presents with significant weight loss, a reported increase in food intake, excessive exercise, and a preoccupation with body image, as well as signs of metabolic disturbance such as feeling cold, abdominal pain, and hair thinning. These are classic signs of anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted body image, leading to restrictions on caloric intake and often excessive physical activity.

The other options, while they may present with some similar symptoms, are less consistent with the clinical picture described. Binge eating disorder is characterized by recurrent episodes of eating an abnormally large amount of food in a short time period without compensatory behaviors, and bulimia nervosa involves binge eating followed by inappropriate compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, or excessive exercise, but weight is often maintained at or above normal. Pica is an eating disorder that involves eating non-nutritive substances and is not related to a fear of weight gain or body image distortion.

TRICARE is a health program for uniformed service members, retirees, and their families. It is essential for medical assistants to recognize different insurance types to manage billing efficiently and to know which services are covered under each plan. Medicare is for individuals 65 years or older or who meet other specific criteria; Medicaid/CHIP is for low-income individuals and families, and commercial insurance generally refers to private health insurance obtained individually or through employers.

The statement is incorrect because hemoglobin levels vary significantly throughout life. Infants typically have higher hemoglobin levels at birth, which gradually decrease during the first year. Children have different reference ranges that increase as they age. Adults have relatively stable ranges, but these also differ based on sex, with men having higher reference levels than women on average. It is important for medical assistants to recognize these normal physiological variations to avoid misinterpreting lab results as pathological.

The observed rhythmic, sharp elevations on the cardiac monitor strip at frequent intervals suggest the presence of interference from other electrical devices, rather than stemming from the patient’s physiological activity. To resolve this, a Medical Assistant should ensure that other electrical devices, which may include personal electronics or medical machinery such as infusion pumps, are not positioned too close to the cardiac monitoring equipment. If these devices are present, they should be moved away or turned off. This type of interference would not be related to the patient's bodily functions like tremors, shivering, or an irregular heartbeat, which typically manifest with varying patterns of disturbance on the monitor.

The patient has already paid $400 towards their deductible, leaving $600 remaining. The cost of the procedure will first be applied to satisfy the remaining deductible, which is $600. After the deductible is met, the insurance covers 80% of the remaining procedure cost ($900). The insurance will pay $720 (80% of $900), and the remaining 20% of the covered amount, which is $180, will be the patient's responsibility. Therefore, the patient’s total payment after insurance coverage is the remaining deductible ($600) plus their 20% coinsurance share ($180), totaling $780.