Certified Medical Coding Specialist Medical Terminology & Anatomy for Coding 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which term describes a fracture in which the bone fragments are driven into each other?
- Impacted fracture (Correct answer)
- Comminuted fracture
- Greenstick fracture
- Pathological fracture
Correct answer: Impacted fracture
An impacted fracture occurs when the bone fragments are compressed or driven into each other, commonly seen in hip fractures.
Question 2: The term 'dyspnea' means:
- Difficulty breathing (Correct answer)
- Absence of breathing
- Rapid breathing
- Painful swallowing
Correct answer: Difficulty breathing
Dyspnea is the medical term for difficulty or labored breathing, from dys- (difficult) + -pnea (breathing).
Question 3: In which body system would a coder find the gallbladder and bile ducts?
- Hepatobiliary (digestive) system (Correct answer)
- Urinary system
- Endocrine system
- Lymphatic system
Correct answer: Hepatobiliary (digestive) system
The gallbladder and bile ducts are part of the hepatobiliary system, which is a component of the digestive system.
Question 4: The combining form 'cardi/o' refers to:
- Heart (Correct answer)
- Stomach
- Vein
- Artery
Correct answer: Heart
The combining form cardi/o refers to the heart, as in cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle) and cardiology.
Question 5: The term 'bilateral' in coding documentation means:
- Pertaining to or affecting both sides of the body (Correct answer)
- Pertaining to one side of the body
- Pertaining to the left side only
- Pertaining to the right side only
Correct answer: Pertaining to or affecting both sides of the body
Bilateral means both sides, and in coding it affects code selection — some procedures have distinct bilateral CPT codes or require modifier -50.
Question 6: Which anatomical plane divides the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) portions?
- Coronal (frontal) plane (Correct answer)
- Sagittal plane
- Transverse plane
- Oblique plane
Correct answer: Coronal (frontal) plane
The coronal (frontal) plane divides the body into anterior and posterior sections, running vertically from side to side.
Certified Medical Coding Specialist Medical Terminology & Anatomy for Coding 2
Which term describes a fracture in which the bone fragments are driven into each other?