CMT - Certified Medical Technician Clinical Knowledge and Medical Terminology 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The suffix '-ectomy' indicates:
- Surgical removal of a structure (Correct answer)
- Inflammation of a tissue
- Visual examination of an organ
- Incision into a body part
Correct answer: Surgical removal of a structure
The suffix '-ectomy' comes from Greek and means surgical removal or excision. For example, an appendectomy is removal of the appendix.
Question 2: Which term describes a condition of insufficient oxygen reaching body tissues?
- Hyperoxia
- Hypoxia (Correct answer)
- Apnea
- Tachypnea
Correct answer: Hypoxia
Hypoxia means deficient ('hypo-') oxygen ('-oxia') in the tissues. It differs from apnea (no breathing) and tachypnea (rapid breathing), which describe breathing patterns rather than tissue oxygenation.
Question 3: A patient's chart notes 'NPO' status before surgery. This abbreviation means:
- No previous operations
- Nothing by mouth (Correct answer)
- Normal pulse oximetry
- Neurology pre-operative
Correct answer: Nothing by mouth
NPO stands for the Latin 'nil per os,' meaning nothing by mouth. Patients are kept NPO before surgery to prevent aspiration of stomach contents during anesthesia.
Question 4: The anatomical term 'proximal' means:
- Closer to the point of attachment or origin (Correct answer)
- Farther from the point of attachment or origin
- On the same side of the body
- Toward the back of the body
Correct answer: Closer to the point of attachment or origin
Proximal describes a location closer to the point of attachment or the center of the body. For example, the elbow is proximal to the wrist. The opposite term is 'distal.'
Question 5: Which of the following medical terms means rapid heart rate?
- Bradycardia
- Arrhythmia
- Tachycardia (Correct answer)
- Cardiomegaly
Correct answer: Tachycardia
Tachycardia combines 'tachy-' (fast) with 'cardia' (heart), meaning a heart rate faster than normal (typically above 100 bpm in adults). Bradycardia is the opposite — a slow heart rate.
Question 6: The combining form 'hepato-' refers to which organ?
- Heart
- Kidney
- Spleen
- Liver (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Liver
The combining form 'hepato-' derives from the Greek word for liver. It appears in terms like hepatitis (liver inflammation) and hepatomegaly (enlarged liver).
CMT - Certified Medical Technician Clinical Knowledge and Medical Terminology 1
The suffix '-ectomy' indicates: