Clinical Reasoning Flashcards
7 cards from real CHT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Clinical Reasoning flashcards as text
A patient's intrinsic tightness test is positive. This means PIP flexion is more restricted when the MP joint is:
Answer: Extended
Intrinsic tightness causes greater restriction of PIP flexion when the MP is extended because the tight intrinsics are placed on maximum stretch.
A CHT treating a patient with Dupuytren's contracture post-fasciectomy should FIRST address which goal in early rehabilitation?
Answer: Edema management and wound healing to allow early motion
Early post-fasciectomy rehabilitation prioritizes edema control and wound healing before aggressive motion to prevent wound dehiscence.
When performing clinical reasoning for a patient with lateral epicondylalgia, which neural tissue provocation would implicate cervical radiculopathy as a contributing factor?
Answer: Upper Limb Tension Test (ULTT) positive for radial nerve bias
A positive ULTT with radial nerve bias implicates neural tension from the cervical spine contributing to lateral elbow symptoms.
A patient with a scaphoid nonunion presents with persistent wrist pain after cast treatment. The CHT's clinical reasoning should MOST prioritize:
Answer: Fabricating a wrist immobilization splint and referring back to physician
Scaphoid nonunion requires surgical evaluation, and the CHT should immobilize the wrist and refer the patient back to the physician.
Which factor is MOST important when selecting a functional outcome measure for a CHT research study on tendon repair?
Answer: The measure's responsiveness to change in the target population
Responsiveness (sensitivity to change) is the most critical psychometric property when selecting an outcome measure for a clinical research study.
A patient reports that pain is worse with cold weather and after inactivity but improves with movement. This pain pattern is MOST consistent with:
Answer: Osteoarthritis of the hand joints
Pain worse with inactivity and cold that improves with movement is a classic pattern of osteoarthritis, reflecting mechanical joint changes.
A CHT notes that a patient with trigger finger has failed corticosteroid injections twice. Which clinical reasoning step is MOST appropriate?
Answer: Discuss surgical referral with the patient and physician
After two failed corticosteroid injections, clinical practice guidelines support referral for surgical release (A1 pulley release).