PCT NCCT Exam Questions & Answers
Which of the following should the patient care technician do when initiating first aid for a
patient with a second-degree burn? (Select the two (2) correct answers.)
Apply moisturizing cream to the affected area.
Soak the affected area in Epsom salt.
Run cool water over affected area of intact skin.
Protect the burn from pressure or injury.
Drain large, intact blisters. - ANSWERSRun cool water over affected area of intact skin., Protect
the burn from pressure or injury.
Rationale: Cool water should be ran over the affected area of intact skin, and the burn should be
protected from pressure injury. Oil or ointment application increases the risk of breaking blisters
and increases the potential for infection. Intact skin is a first line of defense in preventing
infection, therefore the blisters should not be broken or drained, and Epsom salt would not be
used.
During a routine visit, a patient becomes very upset while discussing the recent death of a
spouse and suddenly faints. Which of the following actions should the patient care technician
take NEXT?
Protect the patient from injury.
Activate EMS.
Notify the physician.
Draw blood for laboratory tests. - ANSWERSProtect the patient from injury.
Rationale: Protecting the patient is the ultimate priority here. Quickly and carefully lay the
patient flat (in the supine position) with her head lower than her feet. Once you have tended to
the patient, stay with her to eliminate the potential for any injuries. Then call the physician or
other medical personnel to alert them to your situation. Fainting itself does not constitute a
reason for activating EMS (that would be necessary if the patient's heart and/or breathing
stopped). Phlebotomy is the last consideration; blood work is not the main concern at this time.
,Which of the following actions by the patient care technician is correct when administering
medication to a patient sublingually?
Placing the medication between the gum and cheek
Asking the patient to swallow the medication
Applying the medication directly to the skin
Placing the medication under the tongue - ANSWERSPlacing the medication under the tongue
Rationale: Sublingual medication is absorbed systemically through intact mucous membranes.
Instruct the patient to place the medication under the tongue, sit upright and swallow
frequently until the medication dissolves. Ex. Nitroglycerin tablets.
The medical abbreviation meaning both ears is
AU.
Bilat.
AD.
AS. - ANSWERSAU.
Rationale: AU=both ears, AD=right ear, AS=left ear, Bilat=bilateral
The term oliguria is used to describe which of the following conditions?
Cystitis
Frequent urination
Low urine output
Renal calculi - ANSWERSLow urine output
Rationale: The kidneys make more or less urine, depending on what the body needs to keep
things in balance. If a patient urinates too much or not enough, it can sometimes be a sign that
something is wrong. Oliguria is when someone urinates less than usual. For adults, that means
less than 400 milliliters of urine a day.
,An adult patient presents with fever, muscular pain, and congestion. Which of the following is
the appropriate response for the patient care technician following the physician's orders?
Perform a rapid flu test
Place the patient in an exam room and provide a mask
Apply 10 liters of oxygen via non-rebreather
Administer acetaminophen (Tylenol) 650 mg po - ANSWERSAdminister acetaminophen (Tylenol)
650 mg po
Rationale: Acetaminophen is known to relieve pain (an analgesic), reduce fever, and aid in
relieving nasal congestion. The patient care technician should administer 650 mg orally of
acetaminophen (Tylenol) since the patient is presenting with those three symptoms. A rapid flu
test would not be the appropriate action to take at this time because the patient needs relief of
the current symptoms before they worsen. The patient does not need to be placed in an exam
room with a mask, nor does he/she need a non-rebreather mask. He/she is not showing any
signs of hypoxia or respiratory distress.
The patient care technician is obtaining a blood pressure measurement on a patient with a
right-sided mastectomy. At which of the following sites should the technician take the blood
pressure?
Right lower leg
Left lower leg
Right upper arm
Left upper arm - ANSWERSLeft upper arm
Rationale: After axillary lymph node clearance in patients with breast cancer, some women
experience lymphoedema and recurrent infections. To obtain accuracy of blood pressure, it is
recommended to use the opposite arm of surgery site.
Which of the following terms describes a wound that is pus-producing?
Parietal
Percutaneous
Pyogenic
, Parenteral - ANSWERSPyogenic
Rationale: The prefix pyo refers to pus, and the suffix -genic refers to the formation of, therefore
pyogenic means pus-producing. The term parietal refers to something that is attached to or is
touching a wall or cavity, and percutaneous means the skin was punctured. When something is
delivered through the parenteral route, it means it is not given through the intestinal tract, and
is delivered somewhere else in the body, like through a feeding tube.
A pulse oximetry monitor measures which of the following?
Pulse pressure
Respiratory rate
Oxygen saturation
Oxygen flow rate - ANSWERSOxygen saturation
Rationale: A pulse oximetry monitor is a noninvasive measurement of the oxygen saturation of a
patient's arterial blood. Pulse pressure is the difference between the systolic and diastolic blood
pressure, respiratory rate is measured by counting the patient's breaths, and oxygen flow rate is
the set amount of oxygen that a patient is receiving while wearing a nasal cannula or oxygen
mask.
An adult patient with vital signs of T 37.0 C, P 72, R 18, B/P 192/102 mm Hg indicates which of
the following conditions?
Orthostatic hypotension
Hypoxia
Tachycardia
Hypertension - ANSWERSHypertension
Rationale: These vital signs align with a patient experiencing hypertension (a.k.a. high blood
pressure). Both the systolic an asystolic readings are high. Postural hypotension (orthostatic
hypotension) is low blood pressure resulting when a patient stands after sitting or lying down.
Tachycardia refers to a high heart rate. A normal adult resting pulse rate is 60-100 beats per
minute, so this patient is within normal limits at 72. Hypoxia translates to low oxygen levels and
that was not indicated in these vitals.
Which of the following should the patient care technician do when initiating first aid for a
patient with a second-degree burn? (Select the two (2) correct answers.)
Apply moisturizing cream to the affected area.
Soak the affected area in Epsom salt.
Run cool water over affected area of intact skin.
Protect the burn from pressure or injury.
Drain large, intact blisters. - ANSWERSRun cool water over affected area of intact skin., Protect
the burn from pressure or injury.
Rationale: Cool water should be ran over the affected area of intact skin, and the burn should be
protected from pressure injury. Oil or ointment application increases the risk of breaking blisters
and increases the potential for infection. Intact skin is a first line of defense in preventing
infection, therefore the blisters should not be broken or drained, and Epsom salt would not be
used.
During a routine visit, a patient becomes very upset while discussing the recent death of a
spouse and suddenly faints. Which of the following actions should the patient care technician
take NEXT?
Protect the patient from injury.
Activate EMS.
Notify the physician.
Draw blood for laboratory tests. - ANSWERSProtect the patient from injury.
Rationale: Protecting the patient is the ultimate priority here. Quickly and carefully lay the
patient flat (in the supine position) with her head lower than her feet. Once you have tended to
the patient, stay with her to eliminate the potential for any injuries. Then call the physician or
other medical personnel to alert them to your situation. Fainting itself does not constitute a
reason for activating EMS (that would be necessary if the patient's heart and/or breathing
stopped). Phlebotomy is the last consideration; blood work is not the main concern at this time.
,Which of the following actions by the patient care technician is correct when administering
medication to a patient sublingually?
Placing the medication between the gum and cheek
Asking the patient to swallow the medication
Applying the medication directly to the skin
Placing the medication under the tongue - ANSWERSPlacing the medication under the tongue
Rationale: Sublingual medication is absorbed systemically through intact mucous membranes.
Instruct the patient to place the medication under the tongue, sit upright and swallow
frequently until the medication dissolves. Ex. Nitroglycerin tablets.
The medical abbreviation meaning both ears is
AU.
Bilat.
AD.
AS. - ANSWERSAU.
Rationale: AU=both ears, AD=right ear, AS=left ear, Bilat=bilateral
The term oliguria is used to describe which of the following conditions?
Cystitis
Frequent urination
Low urine output
Renal calculi - ANSWERSLow urine output
Rationale: The kidneys make more or less urine, depending on what the body needs to keep
things in balance. If a patient urinates too much or not enough, it can sometimes be a sign that
something is wrong. Oliguria is when someone urinates less than usual. For adults, that means
less than 400 milliliters of urine a day.
,An adult patient presents with fever, muscular pain, and congestion. Which of the following is
the appropriate response for the patient care technician following the physician's orders?
Perform a rapid flu test
Place the patient in an exam room and provide a mask
Apply 10 liters of oxygen via non-rebreather
Administer acetaminophen (Tylenol) 650 mg po - ANSWERSAdminister acetaminophen (Tylenol)
650 mg po
Rationale: Acetaminophen is known to relieve pain (an analgesic), reduce fever, and aid in
relieving nasal congestion. The patient care technician should administer 650 mg orally of
acetaminophen (Tylenol) since the patient is presenting with those three symptoms. A rapid flu
test would not be the appropriate action to take at this time because the patient needs relief of
the current symptoms before they worsen. The patient does not need to be placed in an exam
room with a mask, nor does he/she need a non-rebreather mask. He/she is not showing any
signs of hypoxia or respiratory distress.
The patient care technician is obtaining a blood pressure measurement on a patient with a
right-sided mastectomy. At which of the following sites should the technician take the blood
pressure?
Right lower leg
Left lower leg
Right upper arm
Left upper arm - ANSWERSLeft upper arm
Rationale: After axillary lymph node clearance in patients with breast cancer, some women
experience lymphoedema and recurrent infections. To obtain accuracy of blood pressure, it is
recommended to use the opposite arm of surgery site.
Which of the following terms describes a wound that is pus-producing?
Parietal
Percutaneous
Pyogenic
, Parenteral - ANSWERSPyogenic
Rationale: The prefix pyo refers to pus, and the suffix -genic refers to the formation of, therefore
pyogenic means pus-producing. The term parietal refers to something that is attached to or is
touching a wall or cavity, and percutaneous means the skin was punctured. When something is
delivered through the parenteral route, it means it is not given through the intestinal tract, and
is delivered somewhere else in the body, like through a feeding tube.
A pulse oximetry monitor measures which of the following?
Pulse pressure
Respiratory rate
Oxygen saturation
Oxygen flow rate - ANSWERSOxygen saturation
Rationale: A pulse oximetry monitor is a noninvasive measurement of the oxygen saturation of a
patient's arterial blood. Pulse pressure is the difference between the systolic and diastolic blood
pressure, respiratory rate is measured by counting the patient's breaths, and oxygen flow rate is
the set amount of oxygen that a patient is receiving while wearing a nasal cannula or oxygen
mask.
An adult patient with vital signs of T 37.0 C, P 72, R 18, B/P 192/102 mm Hg indicates which of
the following conditions?
Orthostatic hypotension
Hypoxia
Tachycardia
Hypertension - ANSWERSHypertension
Rationale: These vital signs align with a patient experiencing hypertension (a.k.a. high blood
pressure). Both the systolic an asystolic readings are high. Postural hypotension (orthostatic
hypotension) is low blood pressure resulting when a patient stands after sitting or lying down.
Tachycardia refers to a high heart rate. A normal adult resting pulse rate is 60-100 beats per
minute, so this patient is within normal limits at 72. Hypoxia translates to low oxygen levels and
that was not indicated in these vitals.
