Practice Test Geeks(CDT) Certified Dermatology Tech Practice Test
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Dermatological Assessment Methods Flashcards

7 cards from real CDT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Dermatological Assessment Methods flashcards as text

  1. A technician performing a patch test for contact allergy reads results at 48 and 96 hours. A '+' (weakly positive) reaction is characterized by:

    Answer: Erythema, edema, and small papules

    A single-plus patch test reaction shows erythema, edema, and small papules, indicating a mild allergic contact sensitization to the test allergen.

  2. When using the 'rule of nines' to assess burn extent in an adult patient, the head and neck together account for what percentage of total body surface area (TBSA)?

    Answer: 9%

    In the adult rule of nines, the head and neck together represent 9% of the total body surface area.

  3. Phototesting (MED determination) measures the minimum erythema dose. This test is used to:

    Answer: Determine a patient's UV sensitivity threshold for phototherapy dosing

    The MED test exposes skin to incremental UV doses to find the lowest dose causing perceptible erythema, guiding safe and effective phototherapy treatment initiation.

  4. Which assessment finding would prompt a dermatology technician to classify a pressure injury as Stage 4?

    Answer: Full thickness skin loss with exposed or palpable fascia, muscle, or bone

    Stage 4 pressure injuries involve full-thickness tissue loss exposing underlying structures such as fascia, muscle, tendon, ligament, cartilage, or bone.

  5. A skin assessment reveals a 'target lesion' with three concentric color zones. This morphology is most associated with:

    Answer: Erythema multiforme

    Classic target lesions with three zones (dusky center, pale middle ring, and red outer ring) are pathognomonic for erythema multiforme.

  6. During skin cancer screening, a technician uses total body skin examination (TBSE). The correct sequence for a systematic examination is:

    Answer: Start at the scalp and work systematically downward to the feet

    TBSE follows a systematic head-to-toe approach starting at the scalp and proceeding downward to ensure no body surface area is missed.

  7. A patient's skin shows 'Auspitz sign.' The technician should document this as a finding consistent with:

    Answer: Psoriasis

    The Auspitz sign—pinpoint bleeding when psoriatic scale is removed—occurs because psoriatic plaques have thinned suprapapillary epidermis with dilated capillaries just beneath.