NHA CCMA STUDY GUIDE
The primary code in the CPT coding system consists of how many digits? - ANS-Five digits
A medical assistant is observing a patient after administering an antibiotic injection. The patient
develops an itchy rash with pinkish, raised lesions. Which of the following terms should the
assistant use when documenting this finding in the patient's medical record? - ANS-Urticaria
A rash on the skin that consists of hives or wheals, which are itchy, raised lesions. It is a sign of
an allergic reaction.
When should the code on glucose cuvettes be compared to the code on the glucometer? -
ANS-Before a patient is tested
Which of the following should a medical assistant identify as the purpose of a Category II code
in procedural coding? - ANS-Tracks provider performance measures
A pulse oximeter can register an artificially low oxygen saturation measurement for a patient
who has which of the following conditions? - ANS-Cold fingers
Cold fingers indicate low perfusion and might result in an artificially low pulse oximetry reading.
As a medical assistant is collecting a blood sample, the patient begins to faint. Which of the
following actions should the medical assistant take to help ensure the patient's safety? -
ANS-Position the patient flat on her back
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? - ANS-A
fast and steady flow with no variability
A medical assistant is collecting data from a patient who is experiencing heatstroke. Which of
the following manifestations should the assistant expect to find? - ANS-Hot skin
A medical assistant is administering eye ointment to a patient. Which of the following actions
should the assistant take? - ANS-Apply a thin ribbon of ointment along the conjuctival sac
A medical assistant is reinforcing teaching with a patient about lifestyle modifications to help
regulate his hypertension. Which of the following statements by the patient indicates an
understanding of the teaching? - ANS-"I only smoke a half a pack each day, so I'll just cut it out
completely."
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 take? - ANS-"It is a medication that suppresses the
cough reflex."
According to OSHA guidelines, a medical assistant should dispose of blood-soiled gauze
dressings in which of the following? - ANS-Red biohazard bag
Which of the following information should the medical assistant enter into the appointment
calender when scheduling a patient for a skin rash? - ANS-Daytime phone number
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? -
ANS-The service is provided after the expiration date
A medical assistant is disposing of the syringe and needle she used to inject a seasonal
influenza vaccine. Which of the following actions should the assistant take? - ANS-Drop the
syringe, needle first, into the biohazardous sharps container.
When preparing a patient for Holter monitoring, which of the following actions should a medical
assistant take? - ANS-Vigorously dry the patient's skin prior to electrode placement
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? - ANS-Silvery, scaly
A medical assistant is preparing a patient for a physical examination. Which of the following
steps should the assistant take first? - ANS-Verify the patient's identity
Which of the following types of written correspondence can be signed by a medical assistant? -
ANS-A notification letter to a patient about surgery arrangements
A medical assistant is administering an intramuscular immunization to a patient. Which of the
following actions should the medical assistant take? - ANS-Cleanse the site in a circular motion
from the center outward
Which of the following methods is used to notify a provider of the denial of a claim by an
insurance carrier? - ANS-Remittance advice
When assigning a CPT code, which of the following is the purpose of a modifier? -
ANS-Provides additional information or circumstances for a procedure
Which of the following instructions should a medical assistant provide to a patient regarding
transdermal patch use and care? - ANS-"Make sure to rotate patch placement to avoid skin
irritation."
, A medical assistant is completing a progress note using the SOAP format. Which of the
following patient information should the assistant include in the assessment section? -
ANS-Diagnosis
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? - ANS-Evacuate staff and patients from the immediate area
When performing a first aid procedure to control bleeding of a wound, which of the following
actions should a medical assistant take? - ANS-Apply layers of sterile gauze
A medical assistant is drawing five blood collection tubes. When should the assistant release
the tourniquet? - ANS-Within 1 min of application
A first-time patient is late arriving to the office. Which of the following should the medical
assistant say first? - ANS-"Hello. Welcome to our office."
A medical assistant is collecting multiple blood samples from a patient. Which of the following
vacuum tubes should the assistant take first? - ANS-Yellow (blood culture)
A patient contacts the facility to report a burn injury to her right arm. A medical assistant should
identify which of the following pieces of information as necessary when screening for a possible
emergency situation? - ANS-The cause of the patient's burn
A patient loses consciousness. The EKG tracing reveals ventricular fibrillation. Which of the
following should the EKG technician do first?
A) Notify the physician of the arrest
B) Call for help and begin CPR
C) Go get the automated external defibrillator
D) Administer oxygen - ANS-Call for help and begin CPR
Which of the following techniques should a medical assistant use when bandaging a wound?
A) Wrap the wound from distal to proximal
B) Bandage fingers and toes to prevent further injury
C) Extend the wound dressing 3 to 5 inches beyond the bandage
D) Moisten and apply ointment before bandaging - ANS-Wrap the wound from distal to proximal
A medical assistant is caring for a patient who has come in contact with concrete debris. Upon
inspection of the eye, the assistant sees debris on the surface of the sclera. Which of the
following actions should the assistant take?
A) Use a clean, dry piece of gauze to sweep the debris out of the eye
B) Position a bulb syringe on the lid of the eye during extraction
C) Irrigate the eye starting at the inner canthus and flowing to the outer canthus
The primary code in the CPT coding system consists of how many digits? - ANS-Five digits
A medical assistant is observing a patient after administering an antibiotic injection. The patient
develops an itchy rash with pinkish, raised lesions. Which of the following terms should the
assistant use when documenting this finding in the patient's medical record? - ANS-Urticaria
A rash on the skin that consists of hives or wheals, which are itchy, raised lesions. It is a sign of
an allergic reaction.
When should the code on glucose cuvettes be compared to the code on the glucometer? -
ANS-Before a patient is tested
Which of the following should a medical assistant identify as the purpose of a Category II code
in procedural coding? - ANS-Tracks provider performance measures
A pulse oximeter can register an artificially low oxygen saturation measurement for a patient
who has which of the following conditions? - ANS-Cold fingers
Cold fingers indicate low perfusion and might result in an artificially low pulse oximetry reading.
As a medical assistant is collecting a blood sample, the patient begins to faint. Which of the
following actions should the medical assistant take to help ensure the patient's safety? -
ANS-Position the patient flat on her back
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? - ANS-A
fast and steady flow with no variability
A medical assistant is collecting data from a patient who is experiencing heatstroke. Which of
the following manifestations should the assistant expect to find? - ANS-Hot skin
A medical assistant is administering eye ointment to a patient. Which of the following actions
should the assistant take? - ANS-Apply a thin ribbon of ointment along the conjuctival sac
A medical assistant is reinforcing teaching with a patient about lifestyle modifications to help
regulate his hypertension. Which of the following statements by the patient indicates an
understanding of the teaching? - ANS-"I only smoke a half a pack each day, so I'll just cut it out
completely."
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 take? - ANS-"It is a medication that suppresses the
cough reflex."
According to OSHA guidelines, a medical assistant should dispose of blood-soiled gauze
dressings in which of the following? - ANS-Red biohazard bag
Which of the following information should the medical assistant enter into the appointment
calender when scheduling a patient for a skin rash? - ANS-Daytime phone number
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? -
ANS-The service is provided after the expiration date
A medical assistant is disposing of the syringe and needle she used to inject a seasonal
influenza vaccine. Which of the following actions should the assistant take? - ANS-Drop the
syringe, needle first, into the biohazardous sharps container.
When preparing a patient for Holter monitoring, which of the following actions should a medical
assistant take? - ANS-Vigorously dry the patient's skin prior to electrode placement
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? - ANS-Silvery, scaly
A medical assistant is preparing a patient for a physical examination. Which of the following
steps should the assistant take first? - ANS-Verify the patient's identity
Which of the following types of written correspondence can be signed by a medical assistant? -
ANS-A notification letter to a patient about surgery arrangements
A medical assistant is administering an intramuscular immunization to a patient. Which of the
following actions should the medical assistant take? - ANS-Cleanse the site in a circular motion
from the center outward
Which of the following methods is used to notify a provider of the denial of a claim by an
insurance carrier? - ANS-Remittance advice
When assigning a CPT code, which of the following is the purpose of a modifier? -
ANS-Provides additional information or circumstances for a procedure
Which of the following instructions should a medical assistant provide to a patient regarding
transdermal patch use and care? - ANS-"Make sure to rotate patch placement to avoid skin
irritation."
, A medical assistant is completing a progress note using the SOAP format. Which of the
following patient information should the assistant include in the assessment section? -
ANS-Diagnosis
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? - ANS-Evacuate staff and patients from the immediate area
When performing a first aid procedure to control bleeding of a wound, which of the following
actions should a medical assistant take? - ANS-Apply layers of sterile gauze
A medical assistant is drawing five blood collection tubes. When should the assistant release
the tourniquet? - ANS-Within 1 min of application
A first-time patient is late arriving to the office. Which of the following should the medical
assistant say first? - ANS-"Hello. Welcome to our office."
A medical assistant is collecting multiple blood samples from a patient. Which of the following
vacuum tubes should the assistant take first? - ANS-Yellow (blood culture)
A patient contacts the facility to report a burn injury to her right arm. A medical assistant should
identify which of the following pieces of information as necessary when screening for a possible
emergency situation? - ANS-The cause of the patient's burn
A patient loses consciousness. The EKG tracing reveals ventricular fibrillation. Which of the
following should the EKG technician do first?
A) Notify the physician of the arrest
B) Call for help and begin CPR
C) Go get the automated external defibrillator
D) Administer oxygen - ANS-Call for help and begin CPR
Which of the following techniques should a medical assistant use when bandaging a wound?
A) Wrap the wound from distal to proximal
B) Bandage fingers and toes to prevent further injury
C) Extend the wound dressing 3 to 5 inches beyond the bandage
D) Moisten and apply ointment before bandaging - ANS-Wrap the wound from distal to proximal
A medical assistant is caring for a patient who has come in contact with concrete debris. Upon
inspection of the eye, the assistant sees debris on the surface of the sclera. Which of the
following actions should the assistant take?
A) Use a clean, dry piece of gauze to sweep the debris out of the eye
B) Position a bulb syringe on the lid of the eye during extraction
C) Irrigate the eye starting at the inner canthus and flowing to the outer canthus
