Medical Assistant Facts Flashcards
The flat bones are:
the occipital, parietal, frontal, nasal, lacrimal, vomer, hip bone (coxal bone), sternum, ribs, and scapulae.
Freud’s theory that patients may deceive themselves about the seriousness of their illness is known as what?
Denial is a process whereby patients pretend to themselves that their illness is not as serious as they have been told to try to protect themselves from psychological harm. One of the jobs of a medical practitioner is to gently lead a patient towards understanding of the true nature of their illness.
What does the word “antenatal” mean?
Ante is Latin for before and natal means birth, so antenatal refers to pre-birth events. Examples are antenatal clinic (clinics for pregnant women) and antenatal class (classes preparing for birth).
Which of the following would be a direct result of lipid depletion in the human body
Lipid production does not directly affect the amount of and/or rate of protein synthesis. The permeability of the cellular membrane may increase, not decrease, with a depletion of lipids as fewer lipids are made to replace damaged phospholipids. The last two answer options are inaccurate, as lipids would not be sent to the cell’s cytoplasm nor exchanged for proteins. Lipids, however, are the precursors to many hormones in the body and with a depletion of lipids, this would result in a decrease in hormones like estrogen, therefore [B] is the correct answer.
If the name of a condition ends with the suffix “-itis”, what does that indicate?
Itis is a suffix that derives from Greek and means being inflamed. Examples are colitis (inflamed colon), appendicitis (inflamed appendix), laryngitis (inflamed larynx).
If a patient makes his/her condition worse by ignoring medical advice, that may be considered:
When a patient ignores medical advice, for example does not take prescribed drugs, and so makes his/her condition worse, that may be considered contributory negligence. This means some responsibility for the deterioration lies with the patient, and may count in favor of a medical practitioner in a lawsuit.
If a patient cancels an appointment it is essential that you…?
A patient may cancel an appointment for many reasons and sometimes may forget to reschedule, which could result in them missing vital treatment. Always ask if they need to reschedule and if in doubt consult with the appropriate physician.
Which of these is the most common and effective place to read a pulse?
The pulse is usually measured from the radial artery, on the side of the wrist nearest the thumb. However, if there are reasons preventing taking a reading from here (for example if the patient has both wrists in casts) there are other points from which the pulse may be taken.
If a patient has a problem such as deep-vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism they may need a drug to stop the blood thickening. This is called an…?
When a patient’s blood is clotting too quickly, which can cause DVT or pulmonary embolism, they may need an anticoagulant to slow this process. Common anticoagulants include Coumadin (aka Warfarin) and Heparin.
In order to prescribe controlled substances a medical practitioner needs a license from…?
A license from the DEA is required for all persons prescribing controlled substances. The license lasts for three years (though it can be taken away at any time for malpractice) and costs $731.
Some simple tests fall under waivers from which of these bodies?
A number of simple tests fall under the provisions of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments 1988;
Which of these is most important when dealing with medical records?
All of these elements are important, but when dealing with medical records confidentiality is paramount. Always make sure that records are not being disclosed to an unauthorized entity, and check with the office handbook and other staff when in doubt.
