CMT Patient Care & Safety 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient with a latex allergy is scheduled for a procedure. Which action is the FIRST priority?
- Administer antihistamines prophylactically
- Alert the entire care team and use a latex-free environment (Correct answer)
- Document the allergy in the chart after the procedure
- Proceed only if no latex gloves are used
Correct answer: Alert the entire care team and use a latex-free environment
A latex allergy requires alerting all team members and ensuring a completely latex-free environment to prevent anaphylaxis.
Question 2: When performing a blood draw on a patient, you notice the tourniquet has been in place for over 2 minutes. What should you do?
- Continue drawing since you're almost done
- Release the tourniquet and wait 2 minutes before reapplying (Correct answer)
- Tighten the tourniquet to speed the draw
- Switch to the other arm immediately without releasing
Correct answer: Release the tourniquet and wait 2 minutes before reapplying
Tourniquets left on longer than 1-2 minutes cause hemoconcentration and must be released before reapplication to ensure accurate results.
Question 3: A patient states they are feeling dizzy and may faint during a blood draw. The BEST immediate response is to:
- Complete the draw as quickly as possible
- Have the patient lower their head between their knees while seated
- Recline the patient and discontinue the draw if necessary (Correct answer)
- Offer the patient water and continue the procedure
Correct answer: Recline the patient and discontinue the draw if necessary
Reclining the patient prevents injury from fainting (syncope) and discontinuing the draw prioritizes patient safety.
Question 4: Which isolation precaution is required for a patient diagnosed with active pulmonary tuberculosis?
- Contact precautions only
- Droplet precautions with a surgical mask
- Airborne precautions with a negative-pressure room (Correct answer)
- Standard precautions only
Correct answer: Airborne precautions with a negative-pressure room
Active TB is transmitted via airborne particles requiring a negative-pressure isolation room and N95 respirator use.
Question 5: A patient's ID band is missing before a specimen collection. You should:
- Ask a nearby nurse to confirm the patient's identity verbally
- Use two other identifiers (name + DOB) per facility policy and re-band before collection (Correct answer)
- Collect the specimen and note the missing band in the report
- Refuse to collect until a new band is placed and confirmed
Correct answer: Use two other identifiers (name + DOB) per facility policy and re-band before collection
Two patient identifiers must be confirmed per facility protocol; re-banding the patient before collection ensures proper identification.
Question 6: Which needle gauge is MOST appropriate for a routine venipuncture on an adult patient with normal veins?
- 18-gauge
- 21-gauge (Correct answer)
- 25-gauge
- 30-gauge
Correct answer: 21-gauge
A 21-gauge needle is standard for routine adult venipuncture, balancing flow rate and patient comfort.
Question 7: After an accidental needlestick, the FIRST action a medical technician should take is:
- Report the incident to the supervisor immediately
- Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water for at least 10 minutes (Correct answer)
- Apply a tourniquet above the wound
- Squeeze the wound to express blood and pathogens
Correct answer: Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water for at least 10 minutes
Immediate and thorough washing with soap and water is the first action to reduce infection risk after a needlestick.
CMT Patient Care & Safety 2
A patient with a latex allergy is scheduled for a procedure.
Which action is the FIRST priority?