CMA Certified Medical Assistant MCQ 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When using the SOAP note format, subjective data includes:
- Vital signs measured by the medical assistant
- Symptoms described by the patient in their own words (Correct answer)
- Laboratory and imaging results
- The provider's assessment and diagnosis
Correct answer: Symptoms described by the patient in their own words
Subjective data in a SOAP note consists of the patient's own description of symptoms and complaints.
Question 2: Which of the following is the BEST site for an intradermal injection, such as a tuberculin (TB) skin test?
- Deltoid muscle of the upper arm
- Vastus lateralis of the thigh
- Dorsal gluteal region
- Inner forearm (volar surface) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Inner forearm (volar surface)
The inner (volar) forearm is the standard site for intradermal injections like the tuberculin skin test because the skin is thin and reactions are easily observed.
Question 3: Which of the following actions by a medical assistant constitutes a breach of patient confidentiality?
- Sharing lab results with the ordering provider
- Discussing a patient's diagnosis with their spouse without written consent (Correct answer)
- Reporting a communicable disease to the health department as required by law
- Releasing records to another provider with a signed patient authorization
Correct answer: Discussing a patient's diagnosis with their spouse without written consent
Disclosing a patient's information to a spouse without written consent violates HIPAA, regardless of relationship.
Question 4: A patient with Type 1 diabetes presents with diaphoresis, confusion, and a blood glucose of 48 mg/dL. The appropriate immediate action is:
- Administer insulin as scheduled
- Give 15-20 grams of fast-acting carbohydrates (Correct answer)
- Have the patient drink a large glass of water
- Call 911 immediately without intervening
Correct answer: Give 15-20 grams of fast-acting carbohydrates
The 15-15 rule for hypoglycemia recommends giving 15 grams of fast-acting carbohydrates and rechecking glucose in 15 minutes.
Question 5: Which of the following laboratory values would be most concerning in a patient taking warfarin (Coumadin)?
- INR of 2.5
- INR of 3.0
- INR of 4.8 (Correct answer)
- INR of 1.8
Correct answer: INR of 4.8
An INR above 4.0 significantly increases bleeding risk and is outside therapeutic range for most indications.
Question 6: Which of the following is an example of active immunity?
- Receiving immunoglobulin (antibodies) after exposure to hepatitis A
- Receiving antibodies through breast milk
- Receiving the influenza vaccine (Correct answer)
- Receiving Rh immunoglobulin (RhoGAM)
Correct answer: Receiving the influenza vaccine
Active immunity occurs when the body produces its own antibodies in response to a vaccine or infection.
Question 7: A medical assistant notices a medication error occurred during the previous shift. What is the appropriate course of action?
- Correct the chart entry to avoid documentation of the error
- Ignore it if the patient appears unharmed
- Report the error to the supervising provider and complete an incident report (Correct answer)
- Only document it if the patient complains of a symptom
Correct answer: Report the error to the supervising provider and complete an incident report
All medication errors must be reported to the supervising provider and documented via an incident report, regardless of apparent patient harm.
CMA Certified Medical Assistant MCQ 5
When using the SOAP note format, subjective data includes: